Heavy Metal (in its extreme forms) is a scary music. At least for me - all those growling litanies they call vocals, they really creep me out. But the power of the music is somehow attractive, calling to the deepest fears and inner shadows of the soul… At least once a year, I put on my headphones and listen for hours to bands like Slayer, Metallica, Morbid Angel, Sepultura, etc. Sort of a ritual, helping me to get rid of some hidden emotions. At a recent heavy metal therapeutic session, I discovered Voivod. They sounded a bit more sophisticated than the others, especially because of the surprisingly melodic voice of Dennis Bélanger. However, I listened to their most successful album “Nothingface” which contains a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Astronomy Domine”, a song from Floyd’s first and only studio album with Syd Barrett, “Piper at the Gates of Dawn.” A phenomenal take on this Barrett’s classic, Voivod managed to capture the essence of the song, adding some more chopping blocks and distortion to suit their own sound. “Nothingface” is an excellent album, capturing at its best the progressive and inclusive nature of Voivod’s music. But being a huge fan of Pink Floyd, this song stays my favorite from the band’s most popular release up to date.
