Voivod's third release,
Killing Technology, still has elements of the band's early extreme
metal sound, but they show hints of things to come -- namely, more mature and interesting songwriting. All you have to do is listen to the beginning of the appropriately titled
"Tornado" to hear the young
metal band grind and thrash with the best the '80s had to offer. There are several tracks that stretch past the six-minute mark (the opening title track,
"Forgotten in Space," and
"This Is Not an Exercise"), but
Voivod knows how to hold interest during these extended pieces. The group is comprised of excellent musicians who have no problem whatsoever with the challenging song structures and odd time signatures that arise on
Killing Technology. One of the band's all-time classics,
"Ravenous Medicine," resides on this album, which makes it an essential purchase for
Voivod fans. The group was still developing on
Killing Technology, though -- vocalist
Denis Belanger relies a bit too often on screaming rather than singing, something that he would work out on future releases. An interesting
metal album nonetheless, one that doesn't sound too shabby years after its original release, something that's all too uncommon for the majority of
metal acts from the '80s. ~ Greg Prato
