Spud media

Voivod have always been masters of crafting anxiety. Their songs are always just shy of predictable and their album art looks like the things I see when I’m trying to sleep after too many edibles. Their latest release, Synchro Anarchy, continues their reign of paranoia and discomfort.

The opening track introduces you to a rhythm section that bounds onto the scene like a tap-dancing brontosaurus. It’s a sound that rides with you until the very end, even through all the twists and turns. The guitar comes in later, meandering around like an old man lost at Wal-Mart. Every instrument seems to be doing it’s own thing with no regard for the others, but somehow there’s enough cohesion that you can tell when a new movement in the song begins. It has a very jazz-like, improvised feel to it, which is something this Canadian quartet has always been great at.

Synchro Anarchy sounds like Periphery and Tool had a baby with severe autism. It takes after it’s parents and is insanely talented, but somehow you can just tell that there’s something not quite right with it. I enjoyed it thoroughly. The sprawling 6-minute track Holographic Thinking is a masterpiece that any metal fan can enjoy. I also really liked Quest for Nothing- the outro of which really captures that haunted yet peaceful emotion of understanding your own mortality.

Voivod is a severely underrated band. If you’ve never listened to them before, Synchro Anarchy is as good a place to start as any.