Time can change perspectives on everything in life. Music is certainly no exception to this. There are very few bands that stay together long enough to celebrate 40 years, especially in metal. However, the incredibly prolific Canadian thrash-punk/prog-metal/metal/sci-fi metal (etc, etc… the band has touched so many genres!) Voivod has done just that. They have an extensive catalogue of albums that bounce all over the heavier side of music. Many of these albums are now reaching 20, 30 or even close to 40 years of age! Surely a band with such longevity should be allowed to revisit their old material for a rework. How one views things in their 20s and 30s is certainly different than their perspective in their 50s and 60s.
So, Voivod embarked upon such an undertaking – reworking nine of their “not-so-obvious picks from the band’s hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue” that spans many albums worth of artistic and musical evolution. The album includes a new track as well, which is also the album’s title: Morgöth Tales. As a general take on the album, I don’t feel the songs stray too far from the originals in most cases. What is most noticeable is the leap in production quality and the refined musicianship. The quality of the sound is just so much better. The band sounds like veteran rockers who they are. The decades of playing metal are fully apparent.
That said, there are certainly some noticeable changes. The guitar tone is often slightly cleaner on most tracks. I couldn’t imagine trying to replicate Voivod’s original guitarist Piggy’s exact sound anyway. How much cleaner the sound is varies from track to track. On many tracks, the many layers of noise, fuzz, ambiance and guitar distortion have largely been removed or have significantly reduced emphasis. The original tracks seem a bit grittier and have more bite than these new versions. I’m sure fans will enjoy comparing and contrasting the different takes on these tracks.
The original version of ‘Rise’ had a slightly different band lineup with Eric Forrest on vocals and bass. So, we get a chance to hear Snake sing the track, and hear Chewy’s take on Piggy’s great guitar work. The album ends with a curious new track that shares the album name, ‘Morgöth Tales’. This is a very proggy metal journey which opens with a very curious riff. It showcases every member, as it cuts in and out of tempos and differently paced melodies. You know, like Voivod has been doing for decades! The track has so many ideas tossed out in under five minutes. Incredible stuff and a great addition to the Voivod catalogue.
Fans of Voivod won’t need any incentive to check this album out. Being able to hear their older material reimagined with modern (and noticeably better) production makes this retrospective compilation an easy sell. Voivod sounds as frantic and angst-ridden as ever but now the arrangements are oh so tight. The band’s phenomenal musicianship is on full display – everyone shines – and Snake can still achieve much of the vocal harshness and grit from their earliest material.
If you fall into the category of not being familiar with the band, rejoice! you have an incredible opportunity. You can hear the band’s wild musical progression through the years, all with improved fidelity and with the band sounding in very fine form. Even as a collection of songs for the uninitiated metal fan, it is a rocking slugfest containing some of Voivod’s best material. There is so much to enjoy here – all the melodies and creativity of one the world’s best prog metal bands.
Voivod still metals with the best of them. The band has aged like a well-worn battle jacket. Morgöth Tales is a celebration of the band and their incredible music and long career. It’s an incredible release. An absolute must for progressive metal and metal fans alike.
