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Rating: I am about to (how I love this term) review the first work of the Canadian band Voivod, named War And Pain. The album has recently been remastered for higher quality but comes with the addition of some demos (does Metal Massacre ring a bell?), a disc featuring old live shows (the quality is really not the best), and a bonus disc (unfortunately not a DVD) with photos, the band's biography up to the present day, and videos.
A bit of history... In the year 1983, the Californian band Metallica released their album, Kill 'Em All. An album that fused Punk's aggression with what Metal had expressed up to that point. Clearly inspired by Motörhead, it was a bolt from the blue that tore through the heavy music scene. Thus were born Thrash Metal and Speed Metal (already sketched by Motörhead who, however, were decidedly more punk).
The year 1984, many bands began to follow the sound shaped by the pioneers Metallica (even though they themselves made it even more complex with Ride The Lightning). Among these were the Canadians Voivod, who decidedly focused on Speed Metal with their first album, which should be considered a concept (thus begins the saga of the barbarian Korgull that would have many sequels before being definitively abandoned). The album is very raw, with excellent technical depth, produced by the well-known (to metalheads) Brian Slagel and released by Metal Blade Records. The drumming by Away (Michel Langevin) offers good tempo changes, although the goal remains to hit the skins as fast as possible to achieve maximum speed. Snake (Denis Belanger) has a malevolent and raspy voice (which he will refine with subsequent albums). Piggy (Denis D'Amour) is an excellent guitarist, and his solos (always short but effective) are slashing blades that cut through the speed rhythm of every single track. Bassist Jean Yves Thériault completes a lineup of excellent level, making the band's sound darker, heavier, and faster.
The weak point of the album is definitely the originality of the nine songs. There are no songs that manage to significantly stand out over the others, which is a double-edged sword. The album is compact and flows by quickly but requires several listens to identify the best songs. This probably leaves open interpretation as to what is truly the best part of this work. The title track is fast but manages to offer something more technically, the concluding "Nuclear War" is the slowest and deserves mention for being the exception, while the opening of "Voivod" introduces us to the story that begins with this album. "Warriors Of Ice" and "Live For Violence" are also excellent, whereas only the short "Blower" really falls short compared to the rest.
"War And Pain" opens the path for the underrated Voivod, who today include Jasonic (Jason Newstead) in their lineup. A good debut that will be followed by some even better performances and some truly disappointing albums. Recommended to everyone, even those who don't digest metal (was undoubtedly ironic).
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Voivod (04:19)
Struggling through this
Disturbing life
Surviving is
the only way
to understand
the reasons why
each of us live
riding the blind
tension will pull
you down beneath
way underground
you shall remain
using your soul
dying to breathe
nothing to say
no one to blame
I've always been
slightly confused
all things appear
doomed in a way
whispering voice
is this the end?
my only fate
Tormented, down
Reality...
Tormented, down
Reality...
Upside down reality
I can't hide anxiety
Say goodbye to sanity
Upside down reality
02 Warriors of Ice (05:10)
Learning the rules of the games
With atrocity
Living in a prehistoric weather
With intensity
Armed...Cold weapons in hand
Charged...mangled corps on the land
The bestials contortions on the prey
Makes me lust to kill'em all everyday
Curdled by frost
Too young to rust
Fight... Be wild
Warriors of ice
The hell fighters
Warriors of ice....
Midway through life, midway to death
The nomad soldiers fight for the best
Feel the chill by the polar race
Make the word a disaffected place
Live to die , Eye to eye
Raise the chase, Face to face
Raise the chase, face to face
The dirty desperado go's back
At freezing point
Nail stone fall and fall again
Prisioners of ice wheeze in a sultry weather
This is the fate of frozen agressors...
Advance thermal killers
They're the barbaric butchers
Unscrupulous
Here they are to abuse
Spitting the barren land
Crushing all 'til nothing stands
Ready for attack
They're gonna shoot you in the back
03 Suck Your Bone (03:39)
I'm not afraid when you talk
I can't believe in your money
So we take you by the force
I'm ready to deal today
Suck, suck your bone
Look with fear I'm not alone
Fuck, fuck your soul
We're gonna kidnap and haul
I say go to hell one more time
You don't care for the group
We're gonna rape your child
Watch out here comes the troop
[Chorus]
Why don't you believe on it
You know what we want
Go shit ! I'm not a fish
We're gonna burn your home
04 Iron Gang (04:21)
We're always going fast
When it's time to make it high
Don't listen to this scrap
Tonite your gonna fight
Iron gang comes hear
Metal noise is near
The final assault crushes the crowd
And the bestials swffles will explode
Don't stop the rifle fist
The next gang is on my list
Never turn back take care of you
Let's fight...
We're falling in the dark
And taking the leather straps
We always need a shot
When we're given the notch
Iron gang come hear
Metal noise is near
The eye of war fixes your god
No regret we plunge in the riot
[Chorus]
Acid rains fall forever
Soak in the bones
The blood flows like a river
on metal road....
Acid rains fall forever
Soak in the bones
The blood flows like a river
on metal road....
06 Blower (02:45)
Like a killer in the state
Like a rat in a maze
Living in a city of freak
Lives on children in the snow
It's too late you can't go
Smashes on with turning teeth
Run like blower
Eats like a grinder
The wheels of chains
Roles and roles again
It was marching like a prowler
Sacrifice the raw flesh
You are nice, you are cash
Here come the flesh eater
Chatterning sound of iron
You smell the smoke of carbone
Tell me if it's near
I'm in the snow
I panic, I can't go
I see the yellow blades of danger
07 Live for Violence (05:16)
Armed with a knife in hand
This is my law
Flowing blood on the end
Drink it, drink all
Brought up in hell
Depends on action in agony
Gaining force casting spell
Enduring death
Aahhh! Never die young
Fight for my sound
Ooohh! Betrayers keep out
Of my sight
Live for violence
Yes I live for violence
In the midst of attack
Warrior we fight
Like a savage in a cage
See it, see me
I keep my distance
For my self preservetion
Dead line to meet
Beholder I'm in pain
Cold blooded war
Manipulating all
Battle controls
The Violence is loose
Adenalin shoots
You make me high unwittingly
We whip the flesh
We give you the best
Destroyer call
Not bad after all...
In the midst of attack
Warriors we fight...
Manipulating all
Battle controls
08 Black City (05:12)
Riding, crashing, charging
Run to the wrong side in the night
Bastard, savage prowler
Whip the engine for more power
Fast winds, highway, hell song
Feel the fog in the black storm
Darkness, black walls, shadows
Can't see the light on the road
Alone in a haunted
concrete fondation
Abandonned and possessed
In a ghostly mansion
Desert, ghost town, bare land
Dark street, create a fear
Closed lamps, curfews
Dead leaves
The black cat awaits the witch
Don't stay in black city
Your soul will catch the spell
09 Nuclear War (07:00)
Fast and pure desolation
Lust the blood in my brain
Hard and dry destruction
Wet under the neutron rain
Die in this Holocaust
Scream the deflect attack
Burn before we reload
Strees before...
The power blast
WAR! A command for blood
We scream
DIE! Nothing less than
death we creep
Storm the only weather
Start the directives assassins
Warm inside the under shelter
Wait and fell your broiling skin
Hot oz one disappear
Blight in the atomic detention
Rats it's a survival breed
Destroy with deflagration
I have one track it's to kill
You'll never stop me
Running my evil way
With radioactivity
My machine comes at night
Missiles they stike
Save your life in the dark
For the loud attack
Hey! nuclear war!
I'm realy up tonite
For my last ride
Never returning at home
I'm gonna die
The war machine is not save
And i can't escape
When the bombs will hit
My face, It will drive me insane
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