Voivod – Synchro Anarchy
Release Date: 11th February 2022
Label: Century Media Records
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Genre: Progressive Metal, Thrash.
FFO: System of a Down, Mastodon, Gwar, Mutoid Man.
Review By: Andy Spoon
In recent years, some classic metal acts have released albums to worldwide acclaim, such as Exodus and Iron Maiden, with numerous reviewers and fans claiming the respective 2021 releases to be part of their “best of” lists. In similar fashion, Quebec prog metal leviathans Voivod have come back in 2022 with their fifteenth, yes fifteenth, studio album, Synchro Anarchy, which purports to bring some of their most recent and developed sound to date.
Without trying to give any credence to their decades of prior releases, 2022’s Synchro Anarchy must be considered on its own merit. Yet, it is impossible to give a good listen to it without trying to compare it to a discography that is older than 90% of metal fans alive today. Voivod has danced between genres and sounds as metal scenes have changed and morphed, going from thrash/speed metal (Killing Technology) throughout the 1980s to a heavy proggy/tech sound into the 1990s and beyond (Nothing Face) and back to heavier roots (Negatron, Kronik). In the 2000s, Voivod’s recent sound developed with 2006’s Katorz, bringing clarity in the music section, and less-extreme vocals, harkening back to their speed-metal roots with a very modern prog atmosphere reminiscent of late 1990s Gwar. 2018’s The Wake is closest to Synchro Anarchy in feel and artistic direction, showing the sound development over time has led to where we are today.
Guitarist Daniel Mongrain’s fabulous proggy licks are the highlight of this entire album, searing through the mix with clarity and very mix-forward soundstage. Mongrain’s dissonant chords and bends are mesmerizing right out of the gate with precise execution, bouncing between single-guitar leads and rhythm patterns on Paranormalium. One could see how later guitarists in single-guitar projects, such as System of a Down could have been influenced by Mongrain’s work, as the dynamics of the guitar create an atmosphere that is both barren of noise, but extremely-heavy in its clarity, every note and chord in its exact place unhindered by a droning rhythm section.
Bass and drums sit slightly further back in the mix to the guitar and vocals, but don’t manage to disappear anywhere in the mixdown, stepping forward for an excellent blend between bass and guitar dueling in the title track, Synchro Anarchy and later in Planet Eaters. Vocals are courtesy of second-longest tenured active member, Denis Belanger, whose tenor singing voice is extremely-unique and hard to forget. While certainly not operatic at any point, his harsh thrash vocals are well-placed, adding an element of angst and intensity to the overall mix, being both true to the recent direction the band has taken, as well as having a holistic identity to set their tone apart from other bands of the like.
Themes of the album are recurrent, post-apocalyptic sci-fi in a dreamlike world. The press release gives some indication that Voivod keeps with their recent themes of technology and the ever-expanding universe. They also indicate that they have included themes regarding mental illness, the fragility of humanity, and the fear of the great unknown (in a Lovecraftian sense). It would be easy to try and lump Voivod into a group of “cosplay bands”, which they are not, so Synchro Anarchy is potentially out of place in 2022, being neither a concept album, nor a non-serious concept album from a pretentious prog band trying to talk down to society in general. However, it is easier to treat Synchro Anarchy like The Who’s Pinball Wizard, or one of the various concept albums by King Crimson rather than other prog concept albums by Haken or Porcupine Tree.
Overall, Synchro Anarchy is a fun listen, having fast and intense prog/thrash direction throughout, but whose concept themes aren’t terribly uniform in their delivery. The vocals are somewhat abrasive, at times becoming slightly repetitive. The overall sound of the musical section, namely guitars, is fabulous, and ought to be required listening for anyone who appreciates single-guitar mastery. If you like Mastodon or Mutoid Man, this record ought to be one of your 2022 staples.
(3.5 / 5)
