Defying their early thrash-punk roots, Voivod, after the mellower concept experimentation of 'Dimension Hatross' (not reviewed) and 'Nothingface' (not reviewed) turned in a true classic on 'Angel Rat', complete with freaky cover and further eerie artwork courtesy of drummer Away, they delved deep into Pink Floyd's psych realm with this wistful, Zeppish rock album. Suddenly long gone were the spiky tribal clatterings as the band leapt light years ahead to fuse '60s oddness with a new wave sci-fi of sorts, throwing in all manner of influences from The Cure , Rush to the insane ramblings of H.P. Lovecraft. 'Angel Rat' is reminiscent of a surreal painting, a bizarre, twisted realm of falling stars, purple oceans and cosmic creatures, where a deeper menace lurks but never shows its true face. This is gothic, and very alien but not possessing the coldness of the last two albums but instead offering a glimpse of some vivid yet nightmarish place where we'd love to tread but prefer the comfort of our own homes. The Voivod place is sometimes deserted but peel the layers of hallucination away and you'll find holographic freaks leering from every dim corner, lights flickering, strange craft whizzing into the zenith and a selection of songs which are accessible, and certainly catchy but which slip from your brain as soon as the record is over, prompting you to listen once again to the nocturnal whispers that will once again take you on this peculiar voyage.
'Clouds In My House' got the band on the t.v., a wistful, swirling fusion yet fragile psych rock work-out, whilst 'Panorama' jerks like a bleating robot, the band painting stormy pictures of '50s b-movies coupled with extraterrestrial retro rock.
Lyrically it's masterful, never letting go of its ability to astound yet always baffle.
8.5/10
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