Live Review : Voivod + Cryptic Shift + Damnation's Hammer @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 20th 2023

I have always been drawn to the more avant-garde and obscure corners of metal's rich tapestry. When I was making my first faltering steps into the genre in the mid-80s, whilst my contemporaries had their heads turned by the commercial giants of Maiden, Priest and the rapidly ascending Metallica, I was seduced by bands offering a more difficult and select version of metal. My early adoration with musical mavericks such as Celtic Frost, Suicidal Tendencies, Queensryche (back when they were brilliant) and Voivod.

I bought the latter’s “Dimension Hatröss” on release using the ill-gotten gains from my first Saturday job. It took me a while to attune to its musical oddness (these were the pre-Spotify days when if you had spent six quid on an album, you will damn well listen to it until you liked it) but once I had my head around it, was blown away by its complexity and the fact that it was so out of step with anything else happening at the time.

Voivod have been through their fair share of tragedy and recalibration over the last 40 years, but what has remained a constant is their desire to push the boundaries of our understanding of metal. This short UK run is billed as a celebration of four decades of Morgoth Tales and they have managed to pull a highly impressive crowd of dedicated devotees, the majority of which (from looking at them) have been long-term evangelists for Voivod’s unique take on metal.

Due to the gods of sex, drums and school holiday activities, I manage to miss Damnation’s Hammer opening salvo. I would class this as a shame as their dark, dank and decidedly gloomy taken heavy metal has grown on me over the years. I do however materialise in time for Cryptic Shift. Whoever decided to match their prog–thrash hybrid with the headliners is a ruddy genius as you can feel Voivod’s mucky fingers all over Cryptic Shift’s cosmic endeavours. They are no strangers to our (electronic) pages and for good reason. A Cryptic Shift set is like a guided tour around every nook and cranny of extreme progressive metal. They go for a smash-and-grab style of genre appropriation, combining harsh technicality with bouts of laid-back psychedelia. What could easily be a mess of contradicting approaches instead turns into an invigorating and positively challenging journey into unknown territories.

Tonight, they are most definitely on form but to be honest they are always this good. The secret to their success is the fact that they are such virtuoso musicians. Xander and his bandmates don't seem to have got the memo that heavy metal should be simplistic and musically inept and instead, as always, they provide a masterclass in combining contrasting styles. They receive a rapturous reception from an audience that quite obviously enjoys “difficult stuff” and their joy at getting to support their musical heroes is obvious.

Let's cut to the chase, Voivod are utterly stunning this evening. I'm a long-term fanboy but even I am blown away by the level of energy, passion and anarchistic integrity that burns off the stage. The set is a beautifully crafted journey through their many many musical identities and intrusions. Opening number’Thrashing Rage’ shows that for all their Avant-Garde tendencies they are at heart a darn good thrash outfit. But then relative newcomers ‘Obsolete Beings’ and ‘Synchro Anarchy’ showcase their much more introverted and experimental side, with ever-changing time signatures and stylistics.

With fifteen studio albums to choose from there is going to have to be some level of compromise. We get one track apiece from everything up to and including 1993’s “The Outer Limits”, which is an utter wet dream for the accumulated throng made up of distinctly old-school Voivod aficionados. They even wander into those nether years when Snake was AWOL and play ‘Rise’ from the Eric Forrest fronted variant of the band. 

But for me personally the highlight is hearing ‘Macrosolutions to Megaproblems’ from my beloved “Dimension Hatröss”. Absent from the set since the tour to support the album (aside from very very rare re-appearances over the years) hearing it live once more is both a revelational and highly emotional experience. What is most telling is how current and even cutting-edge it feels. In 1988 Voivod were so far ahead of their time that it is only now that what they were trying to do begins to truly make sense.

Snake is on stunning form this evening. He acts like a demented ringmaster, treading a fine line between insanity and genius. He deftly and playfully uses the pillar unhelpfully situated midway across the stage and plays peekaboo with the audience. He gurns, he screeches and he stomps across every inch of the performance area. He also talks, a lot. Each track comes with its own heartfelt monologue, and you get a distinct impression that this man still lives and breathes the band he formed over 40 years ago. 

Aside from hearing songs I never thought I would witness live again the other revelation of the evening is just how embedded Chewy and Rocky have become in the setup. They are not hired-hands brought in to prop up a failing institution, they are now integral components of what makes Voivod, Voivod and this evening they put as much blood, sweat and energy into the performance as the two mainstays. This brings us to Michel Langevin (or Away to his mum), the one constant for the last 40 years. An accomplished graphic artist (all the band’s album covers are the product of his very hands) it is his vision and tenacity that has kept the band going all these years. Tonight, he is a veritable powerhouse, beating out the organic rhythm with both authority and conviction.

‘Killing Technology, Pre-Ignition’ (introduced with the proclamation that "everybody loves prog rock, right?”) and the seldom aired ‘Nuage Fractal’ ratchet up the atmosphere even further. Men of a certain age who really should know better throwing themselves around the dance floor with no thought of the damage being done to both their backs and their dignity. But even though they take us back to the days of our ill-gotten youth this is no cynical exercise in soulless nostalgia. Voivod are still full of the same passion, excitement and utter love for this music as they were 40 years ago when Snake and Away put the band together with Blacky and the late lamented Piggy.

There are genuine cries of indignation when it is declared that ‘Fix my Heart’ is the last song of the evening. This is one of those shows where the adulation of the crowd and the sheer enjoyment of the band merge together to create an electric atmosphere. We were always going to get an encore (setlist.fm means that there are no surprises anymore) and as soon as they vacate the stage they return to take us right back to the beginning with the self-titled track from their first album. The stage becomes a riotous cacophony of pulsating musicians withering around in musical ecstasy. Stage left Cryptic Shift and Damnation’s Hammer watch on in utter adoration and Xander from the former is dragged on stage to join in with the rampant and repetitive chant of “Voivod”.

Voivod may well have never really broken out of their niche as a cult act but for a number of people (including myself) they mean a huge amount and were absolutely crucial components of stretching our concept of what is possible with metal. Tonight they are a revelation and prove that 40 years on they still have the same drive and level of conviction. Most importantly they show that they are still loving what they do, and that passion is utterly infectious.

Photography by Lauren Allard