In 1985 and 1986, the greater part of the bands of Thrash Metal had evolved into a more brutal, fast and aggressive trend. Those were the days when KREATOR released "Pleasure to Kill", SLAYER unleashed "Reign in Blood", BATHORY came with "The Return", SODOM with "Obsessed by Cruelty"... But after those years, all of them came to a more polished and worked sound, the violence gave space to evident worked melodic lines. Just trace back into the past and you'll see it clear (to me, it's a matter of memory). So VOIVOD followed this same trend, and on the band's third album, called "Killing Technology", you will feel it. This new reissue of the album is a testimony of my words. Not as furious and nasty as "Rrröööaaarrr", you can see that the quartet expanded their musical limits, even still being into their Hardcore tempered Thrash Metal. It still has that aggressiveness of their previous works, but with a refined technique and a great influence that comes from Punk Rock, and some of the songs last more than five minutes. These are the features that make "Killing Technology" a wonderful album. The sound quality is really very good. The name of Harris Johns (SODOM, HELLOWEEN, ANGEL DUST, ASSASSIN, GRAVE DIGGER, and may more) on the production and mixing is the main explanation for such clean and still aggressive sound quality. He did a fine work, keeping the raw power of their musical work, but using a dry sound quality that keeps their aggressiveness, but shows how their melodic lines are excellent. The work for the cover and all the artwork was done, once more, by the hands of the drummer Away.

Be prepared, because this version of "Killing Technology" is really amazing. From the original seven songs, the aggressive and excellent "Killing Technology" with its excellent vocals, the Punk Rock moshpit made music called "Overreaction" and its hooking and excellent guitars, the fine technical work of "Forgotten in Space", and the old hymn "Ravenous Medicine" (this one is where the bass guitar and drums are playing perfectly) are the album's finest moments. But two bonus songs are here: "Too Scared to Scream" and its heavy tempos, the hilarious "Cockroaches" (the song is perfect, but the lyrics speak about when the band went to live along in an apartment, filled with armies of these disgusting insects, and had to kill thousand a night). These two came from "Coackroaches" Single.

But as well, there are bonus live tracks, all of from the live Demo Tape "Spectrum '87", a show in Montreal, on September 1987. Be prepared, because the recording quality is not as good as it can be, but to feel the energy of "Killing Technology", "Overreaction", "Ravenous Medicine", the fury of "Korgull the Exterminator", "Ripping Headaches", and the aggressiveness of "Cockroaches" and "To the Death" is something amazing. But in the part, we can hear the raw live version of "Tribal Convictions" from "Dimension Hatröss", showing that the quartet was going to have a change in their musical style. The hilarious "Batman" (that appears on "Dimension Hatröss" CD version as a studio bonus) is just their version for the old theme song from the series of the 60s.

So, buy this "Killing Technology" reissue, have a good time, and understand why I always say that no clone can do things like VOIVOD did.