Album Review: Voivod – Lost Machine – Live (Century Media Records)

Legendary Canadian prog/thrash metallers Voivod will release Lost Machine – Live on November 27th 2020 via Century Media Records. Recorded in Québec City during the worldwide touring cycle for the band’s latest studio album The Wake.

Having had the pleasure of seeing Voivod live myself back in December 2019 in London, I can attest to the band’s class live. That should be obvious considering they’ve been doing this for 4 decades but rather then slowing down, Voivod only seem to be speeding up.

So while we eagerly await the follow up to The Wake, in the meantime fans can get stuck into Lost Machine – Live. An outstanding showcase of what this band are capable of live that manages to encapsulate a 40-year career. Jumping from modern efforts like Post Society, Obsolete Beings, Always Moving and Fall to classic hitters like Psychic Vacuum, The Prow, Into my Hypercube and Astronomy Domine. With so many releases over the years, it would be near impossible to please everyone, but this is a solid and succinct track listing.

Of course, what we look for in live albums, is that it sounds like a live album. We want to be there; we want to hear the crowd and all the little nuances that you might get if you were in the venue. Lost Machine – Live gets some of that right. Although you can’t really hear much of the crowd during actual songs, they’re probably far too busy head-banging, they’re loud enough at the start and end of tracks. There’s also a little bit of roughness to the music that fits with the live feel nicely too.

The album as a whole is a good encapsulation of what Voivod are like live these days.

Voivod – Lost Machine – Live Full Track Listing:

1. Post Society
2. Psychic Vacuum
3. Obsolete Beings
4. The Prow
5. Iconspiracy
6. Into My Hypercube
7. The End Of Dormancy
8. Overreaction
9. Always Moving
10. Fall
11. The Lost Machine
12. Astronomy Domine
13. Voivod

Links

Website | Century Media Records