Thrashy Canadian headbangers Voivod are enjoying an unexpected career resurgence. In 2009 the band released Infini, an album containing the final music recorded by late guitarist Denis “Piggy” D'Amour, and in 2010 the group was named Metal Band of the Year at the Indie Awards in Canada. Now comes Warriors of Ice, a jagged and noisy 72-minute gig recorded while on tour in late 2009.
Storming the stage at Club Soda in Voivod's adopted hometown of Montreal, three of the original four members (“Piggy,” who died in 2005, is replaced here by Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain) rip through a 15-song set heavy on early material that spans from 1984's War and Pain to 1991's Angel Rat and includes such signature cuts as “Nuclear War” and set highlight “Tribal Convictions.” Denis “Snake” Bélanger even speaks playful French to the rowdy crowd. At this late stage, it's still easy to hear why Voivod—never a band to turn its back on an odd time signature—has been revered by thrash and prog fans alike.
