Voivod was one of the pioneers of speed metal. They were the band that first put Canada on the underground map. Since then, many other acts have followed, but Voivod paved the way. After their War And Pain (1984) album, all was set for Voivod to take it to the next level. Rrroooaarrr came out in 1986 and pretty much established the band worldwide. The material was strong, and the fans responded. With spacey images and dark lyrical concepts, this release was all that was needed for Voivod to be one of the dominant names in the scene. Rrroooaaarrr is now considered a classic, as are all their early records.
This deluxe reissue expands the album onto three discs. The first disc is the remastered version of Rrrooaaarr, which sounds as vital as when I first heard it. It's a record that takes no prisoners, bold and uncompromising. Disc two is a live concert from Montreal, 1986. It finds Voivod performing the songs from their first album and Rrroooaaarr. At the time, those songs were considered new. It's a great show that documents how intense the band was on stage.
The third disc is a DVD, and it documents bootleg video performances by the band. In fact, many of these shows were circulating in the in the trading circles back in the ‘80s. The speed metal scene thrived on live and video trading, and that's why there are a lot of materials available now to view. This by no means represents a professionally shot live footage, but it's pretty cool. It was usually shot by the friends of the band and traded all over the globe. This footage is priceless and it looks good, too!
Voivod always had an interesting image, which had much to do with band's drummer, Away, who was very talented and original in his approach. The booklet included with this disc is also very informative. There is a nice essay by Malcolm Dome, accompanied by pictures and collages. There is a lot of vital information about the record and the times in which it was put together, and it features several surprises from the band members as well.
All in all, this release is absolutely great! Everything about this set is just perfect, and every Voivod fan must own this deluxe edition. It's difficult not to be impressed by the amount of work that went into it.