Voivod – Rrröööaaarrr LP

A landmark of early Canadian thrash, Rrröööaaarrr captures Voivod at their most primitive, chaotic and uncompromising. Blisteringly fast and fiercely unconventional, the album laid the groundwork for the increasingly progressive and experimental sound that would come to define the band.

Formed in Jonquière, Quebec, in 1982 by vocalist Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger, guitarist Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour, bassist Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault and drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin, Voivod recorded a series of demos before catching the eye of Brian Slagel and signing a deal with Metal Blade Records. The result was the band’s debut album War and Pain, which was released in August 1984. At the time, all four members were sharing an apartment in Montreal, existing on $150 in welfare a week. With school already behind them, they were free to rehearse nearly every day, leading to the creation of their sophomore album Rrröööaaarrr.

While the album was being recorded, almost all their equipment was stolen from the rehearsal room. In order to raise funds, the band, along with their manager Maurice Richard, organised the legendary ‘World War III’ festival. This is where they met Karl-Ulrich Walterbach, who convinced Voivod to sign to his label, Noise Records.

Rrröööaaarrr ended up seeing the light of day in March 1986. With songs like ‘Ripping Headaches’, ‘Thrashing Rage’ and the ultimate ‘To the Death!’, it remains one of Voivod’s most extreme albums to this day. Easy listening it was not.

‘Around 1985/86, we really sped up the pace of our music’, says Michael Langevin in the book Damn the Machine: The Story of Noise Records by American author David E. Gehlke. ‘I think that maybe everybody was trying to outdo Slayer. I’m not sure why – I think we might have been a little faster than what we could achieve musically. […] The playing was a little fast, but it’s strange because, at this point, I remember when we were rehearsing Rrröööaaarrr at the jam space, I remember thinking it was the greatest thing. It’s good when you have that – there’s always a stage where the band feels invincible.’

Having been unavailable for a considerable time, this ultimate edition of Voivod’s second album gives you the chance to judge for yourself whether Rrröööaaarrr really is the Canadians’ finest work or not.