Review: Voivod - Synchro Anarchy (2022)
The legends, innovators, and masters of progressive metal Voivod are return with another brilliant album is called Synchro Anarchy that released by Century Media Records on February 11th, 2022. This is their fifteenth studio album and follow up The Wake (2018). It's felt delightful and happy to see they are still exist around and always spoil us with their great masterpieces.
The album opens with Paranormalium, a very energetic track with catchy guitar riffs and upbeat vocals. The combination of its complex and challenging structure provides powerful energy for us to headbanging intesenly. I love the bounciness of its guitar riffs which gives a fun taste, especially when the killer guitar solos come to spread the madness on this track, then Synchro Anarchy stomps with eccentric guitar riffs, emotional vocals, disjointed bass, and energetic drums. The structure is very chaotic and indigestible, with some dissonant touches and the odd guitar solo makes the texture even more confusing. Planet Eaters sway and glide in the same way as in the previous song, their charming musicality is undeniable in terms of chord progressions, arrangement, and of course vocals. Always showing an odd structure like in this song, I love the part of its charming guitar solos that completed with crazy transitions, while Mind Clock comes with a slightly faded tempo but still bring a menacing style, with a foundation of sinister guitar tones, devastating drums, and terrifying vocals. It's a heavy and aggressive song that supported by some thrash elements with just the right dose. Sleeves Off are bumping us with cheerful surfing-rock vibes and a structure that's very comfortable to dance. His blazing guitar solos come to burn us with astonishing melodies. Holographic Thinking is the another engrossing song in this album, with unique arrangement featuring complex and tight riffs, catchy vocals, excellent bass, and absolutely incredible drums. Its soaring guitar solos gives a stunning sensation with the shadows of a discordant melodies, then The World Today again reveals the frenzy of surf-rock elements with a catchy composition featuring a series of energetic and attractive guitar riffs and captivating vocals. This song have ripe and delictable compotitions that executed very well. Quest For Nothing is another fantastic track with amazing vocals performances, great bass playing, palm muted guitar, and powerful drums. This song also has some of the best atmosphere on the album with more exotic and enchanting melodies, and the album closes with Memory Failure, a track that has a heavy and dense structure, featuring a solidity between instruments and vocals that are executed so insanely, this is the perfect accompaniment to end this extraordinary sci-fi journey.
Synchro Anarchy is an extraordinary masterpiece that offering of quirky, complex, and chaotic musical compositions, along with eccentric and odd guitar riffs, energetic vocals, captivating bass, and excellent drum works. Well, it's undeniable that they always display uniqueness in songwriting and have their own distinct characteristics in terms of progression chords, arrangement, and of course vocal style. This is a special album dedicated to their fans who always faithfully wait for his works, but if you don't know them yet this is the right time to check this album, because without a doubt, this is a great and catchy album.