This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Quebec metal gods Voivod have always provoked extreme reaction.
But not as extreme as the violent divergence of opinion that has greeted their self-titled 13th album — a comeback disc that reunites three original members with ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted. Metalheads I’ve talked to are vehemently divided into two camps: Those who swear this is one of Voivod’s best albums and those who maintain it’s their worst. Me? Well, I can see both sides of the coin. Granted, this is Voivod’s best album in eons, if only for the return of vocalist Denis (Snake) Belanger and Newsted’s thunderous presence. And at least a few of these hard-driving, riff-laden tunes deliver a satisfying combination punch of heaviness and hooks. Even so, I don’t hear anything punishing enough to compete with the bloodthirsty brutality of ’80s triumphs like War and Pain and Rrroooaaarrr! Or anything head-splittingly intricate enough to match the angular prog intellectualism of 1989’s Nothingface and ’91’s Angel Rat. History will ultimately decide Voivod’s fate, but for now, let’s just say that any album that bisects its audience so decisively is worth a listen.
