VOIVOD — Phobos (review)

VOIVOD — Phobos album cover Album · 1997 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
UMUR
"Phobos" is the ninth full-length studio album by Canadian metal act Voivod. The album was released through Hypnotic Records in in August 1997. It´s the successor to "Negatron" from November 1995 and it´s the second Voivod album featuring the trio lineup of Eric Forrest (lead vocals/bass), Michel "Away" Langevin (drums) and Denis "Piggy" D-Amour (guitars). It´s also the last studio album to feature Forrest, as he was seriously injured in 1998 in a car accident in Germany and subsequently left Voivod in 2000 after a longer recovery period, which saw the band questioning their continued existence. Voivod actually shortly disbanded in 2001, but reunited in 2002 with original lead vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger and opted to continue with the band.

Stylistically the material on "Phobos" is a continuation of the heavy, aggressive, and at times almost brutal thrash/groove (with industrial atmospheres) style of "Negatron" and in that respect it´s fair to label the two albums sibling releases. Also because they are the only albums in Voivod´s discography which feature this sound and style. Both "Negatron" and "Phobos" are vastly different in sound to anything else Voivod have released. But that doesn´t mean it´s not unmistakably the sound of Voivod, because "Phobos" (just like "Negatron") still features the dissonant riffs and organic drumming, which are signature elements of Voivod, and of course the sci-fi lyrics and imagery. Forrest is predominantly a raw screaming vocalist, but he does occasionally deliver semi-melodic or less raw vocals (not often but a few times).

So "Phobos" is another heavy, raw, and aggressive release from Voivod featuring a savage and punishing sound production, which further enhances the rawness and heaviness of the material. It´s less surprising than "Negatron" was, and maybe therefore a little less interesting (the novelty of Voivod releases something as raw and heavy as "Negatron" has worn off by now), but on the other hand the material is both well performed, well produced, and well written. Thirteen tracks (including a relatively unnecessary cover of "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson and three shorter intro/interlude tracks) and a total playing time of 66:22 are a bit much though when the atmosphere and variation of the music aren´t greater than the case is here, and "Phobos" is therefore an album which could have benefitted from a culling. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is however still warranted.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Suffocated By Fungal Odors Deathcore
VISCERAL EXECRATION
Buy this album from MMA partners
Lethargy Metalcore
HEARTLAPSE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Vitriol Deathcore
BEHEADING THE ICON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Cecità Atmospheric Sludge Metal
NITRITONO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Resiliencia Metalcore
SOURCE OF MYSTERIES
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Suicidal Tendencies - Send Me Your Money
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 11 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - Trip at the Brain
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 11 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - Nobody Hears
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 11 hours ago
Suicidal Tendencies - You Can't Bring Me Down
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
UMUR· 11 hours ago
Thanatos - Source Of Mysteries (Video Oficial)
SOURCE OF MYSTERIES
Bosh66· 1 day ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed