Customer Reviews

Nothingface

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An odd and strangely satisfying amalgam of Rush, Pink Floyd, King Crimson and Metallica, my opinion of_Nothingface_ has not budged an inch since I first bought it over ten years ago - it is like no other metal album you will ever hear. Voivod were pounding out literate, hi-tech excursions into the beyond before Fear Factory ever got near a drum machine. _Nothingface_, like its more primal predecessor _Dimension Hatross_, is song cycle about the continuing adventures of everyone's favorite sentient subatomic particle - the VoiVod. Although decidely more polished and progressive than any previous Voivod release, you don't need your physics book though to groove to the eerie, pummeling take on "Astronomy Domine" - a song which, if I am to believe every on of my friends who have lent a brave ear to it, is quite possibly the mother of all Pink Floyd covers (with a killer video to boot). The opening track "The Unknown Knows", feeling very much like a musical rocket launch, prepares you for all that you are about to experience - constantly shifting dynamics, sudden tempo changes, epic and strange atonal riffs that seem like they are beamed straight from the heart of Planet Fripp - and ending most unexpectedly with a wink and a nudge and a gaily lilting accordion.

If the music weren't so friggin' fantastic I would dock a star for the lackluster re-issue by Noise/Combat, which has questionably ditched the artwork created by drummer Away for each of the songs, as well as the cryptic, circular lyrics, leaving you even more in the dark as to what the hell is going on. If you can locate the original (out of print) MCA release of this album you will be better off. Still, this was a stone-cold masterpiece then, and hasn't lost a bit of its luster since.

Voivod is a band known for evolving their sound with each successive release. When NOTHINGFACE was released in 1989, it was at a time in the bands career when they were pushing the limits of the metal genre that they were awkwardly associated with. Every song on this release is filled with original ideas unique to each player, creating a twisted version of progressive metal which paralells what King Crimson was trying to do to bend the rules of early 70's music. Voivod was at the height of their experimentation with this release, coming after other bold releases, Dimension Hatross and Killing Technology. There is no easy way to describe this music - dark and dissonant, angular, tight parts all fit into a pulsing, writhing intensity of sound that does not let up. Every time I listen to this disc I am completely amazed at how original and creative these four musicians are, and how well they played off each other to create this ethereal masterpiece that, I do not beieve, can be touched by any other band, not even the new incarnation of the band (they are still creating some terrific music, albeit less progressive and ground-breaking). It is a shame that this release did not receive the attention it should have at the time. NOTHINGFACE, DIMENSION HATROSS and KILLING TECHNOLOGY should be essential for anyone interested in heavy, complex, inspiring innovative metal (and I use that term loosely).

No one would ever have predicted back in 1984 that the band who stormed onto the scene with "War and Pain" would end up five years later dropping the twisted cybermetal of "Nothingface". Charting their musical progression through the median three albums, it seems obvious in retrospect, but despite the fully realized work that is "Dimension Hatross" it's "Nothingface" that is Voivod's true masterpiece.

"The Unknown Knows" and "Nothingface" jump out of the starting gates with a heavier direction than much of the album will maintain. Doubtless Voivod were breaking in fans of "Dimension Hatross" gently, as both songs follow in that general path. However, the third track, a cover of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine", fully introduces the zoned out, trance-like dirge that will permeate the rest of the album. Frankly, this is one of the best cover versions I've ever heard, despite being ultra-faithful to the original (a process I usually detest). The drums in particular are absolutely fantastic - we're not talking double kick drum rolls or any other form of technical virtuosity, but the soft/loud buildups and the way Michel Langevin works around the melody is awe inspiring and makes this an utter pleasure to listen to.

Of the remaining funereal "ballads", "Missing Sequences" and "Into My Hypercube" are both astounding, whereas standout rockers include "Pre-Ignition" and "X-Ray Mirror". The lyrics all consist of paranoid, futuristic Kafka-meets-Orwell parables about loss of identity and invasion of privacy. For the most part they're fairly impenetrable, but the band have helpfully (?) provided abstract, impressionistic computer art for each song.

Although Voivod have a series of great albums that boast different approaches and succeed in conflicting manners, "Nothingface" is both the best and most accessible album they've released to date.

OMG this album is out of print!??! I have it on tape and need it on CD, i guess i will have to record it and master it myself. YES thats how good this album really is! Time changes that make your hair stand. Riffs that you can jam to for years to come. I have had this tape since 1989 and it is NEVER far from a tape deck of mine. If anyone finds this CD GET IT! and SHARE IT! voivod needs to remaster and re-release! PLEASE !!

There will never be another recording like Nothingface. Voivod managed to eschew their metal roots, while still being heavy. These songs are complicated, dissonant and full of wild twists and turns. Listening to Nothingface is akin to sitting in front of a gigantic factory at night, listening to the voices of the engines and machinery and watching the billowing smoke. This is music that maps out a tortured landscape of the future.

I think I've listened to Nothingface so much that it's ingrained in my memory forever. It has been more influencial to me than any record I own.

Progressive, intense and smart stuff. Highly recommended.

Now here's a band we should see at prog power, but might not; Voivod. Voivod is more progressive than Dream Theater, Symphony X, and all the Queensryche/Helloween clones that occupy the "prog metal" scene all together. Why you ask? Because for metal, they are TRULY progressive in all senses of the word. Taking their queues from King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Rush, Van Der Graaf Generator and mixing it with thrash punk metal, Voivod are a unique entity that takes their influences and sounds like something COMPLETELY NEW. One cannot hear a band these days that sounds alot like voivod, but elements of their genius can be faintly heard from bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah and even Opeth. Not that those bands are completely influenced by them, but many of the same musical concepts are used in those groups compositions. Voivod have a very unique musical basis, using odd chord progressions and timings to create a "spacey" effect that fits in with the sci fi concept that appears on all of their albums. This 1988 release, "Nothingface", stands as possibly their best album, it has the most balance between the earlier, more dissonant releases like "Dimension Hatross (probably a close second with this one) and later more atmospheric works like "Angel Rat". I dare say "Piggy" is one of the most underrated guitarists in metal, he doesn't have the chops of say; John Petrucci, but his creativity probably exceeds that of many higher rated guitarists (kind of like the fact that Frank Zappa is not as highly rated in guitar magazines as Eric Clapton). This is a worthy addition to any prog metallers collection.

Technical, progressive, and original are all words that I would use to describe this album. Each musician has a great contribution to the sound of this wonderful masterpiece. Guitarist Piggy generously strings together jazzy sounding chords to the point where I start wondering how large one's chord vocabulary could possibly be. Blacky's bass tone is heavy without that annoying metallic "PANK" sound I hear with other such categorized bands. Snake is one of my favorite vocalists, due to his work on this album and on Angel Rat and The Outer Limits. He easily works within a tenor range, and inflects his voice in a manner which reminds me of some classic rock bands from the 70's. His harmonization on certain vocal lines is particularly notable, such as in "Astronomy Domine" and "Missing Sequences." Finally, Away gets way too crunk on his drumkit. It seems that with his style, he would only need 3 cymbals: a hi-hat and ride on which to count time, and a crash or some other such cymbal for accents. I particularly enjoy his antics on the aforementioned ride cymbal. This album is mixed very well and has a lot of neat little sound effects here and there which are very tastefully implemented. The mood on this cd is described as dark by some, but I honestly can't see that. To me, this music is very bouncy and happy. It is garaunteed that it will lift me out of a bad mood and get me jumping off the walls.

Voivod hit their creative cylinders at full-chrage when they made "Nothingface". It's heavy, avant-garde, mezmerising, and extremely technical. This is also the album which Voivod let their progressive elements shine through. Speaking of which, this is the third of their "progression" trilogy starting with "Killing Technology", then came "Dimension Hatross", and then "Nothingface". A lot of people prefer their Venom/Motorhead-early Thrash Metal masterpieces such as "War And pain" and "RROOAARR!!!", which are good but suffered so much from the horrible sound production. Voivod even takes leaps and bounds to totally conquer a Pink Floyd cover "Astronomy Domine" which amzingly surpasses the original Syd Barret classic. The artwork also adds that sci-fi feeling to it, mainly looks like scenes from the classic "Fantastic Planet". By far one of my favorite albums and bands. Best songs are "The Unknown Knows", "Astonomy Domine", "Missing Seqences", and "Into My Hypercube".

"On This train will it always rain, trying to analyze this led venture..."
This is the album of unknwn concepts, unbelivable truth, enigmatic thoughts; it annhilates every convinction. It hasn't any soul, any feeling, any statement. It only wants to destroy your ego and eradicate any human conception.
"Will To walk crossed out feet, mind to talk, still words bleed"
But it's when you're there that you can have a moment of clarity about the psychic Voivod world ("A slim reflexion"). This is only a reflexion of the human world, a world where there such machine described in "Nothingface" isn't needed. Cities and Metropolis are the Hypercube ("this cuboid upside down cell").
Nine visionary worlds of psychic disintegration. Nine scenes with no feelings (Voivod doesn't need them), no thought, no soul.
The total Nothing. And, perheps, you will discover that the empty is better than the filled...
"Circling the border line, no resource, no rescue, I'm stranded, I'm otherwise, te error is perfect, like this sub-effect of my mind...of my mind!!!"

Man, I have never heard anything like this! Voivod made their name as a bunch of speed freaks doing Venom covers and blitzing along so fast that they could even give Slayer a run for their money, but this is a total departure from the thrash sound that they honed with their previous albums. They cover a Pink Floyd song (Astronomy Domine) and I think that they did it better than Barrett and company. Everything about this album is weird, but I must say that I really liked it. It's a very difficult album to categorise . . . I am not sure you would call it metal exactly, it's certainly not speed or thrash . . . maybe hard rock with an edge? The liner notes describing what the songs are about and the cyberpunk artwork just make the whole album seem more original than ever. One of the most unique recordings by a popular music band that I have ever come across, although it does not fare all that well with repeated listenings.