1993's The Outer Limits saw legendary progressive metal band Voivod move into more commercial waters, as they were slowly leaving their thrash influences behind them, the Quebec lads delivering a more 'arena rock' sound here that also hinted at the more adventurous, spacey metal style that they were involved in at the time. The production is big, the songs catchy and rocking, almost like what Rush was doing at the same time, but remember, the year was 1993, so the hard rock and metal legions had jumped on the grunge bandwagon at that point, and The Outer Limits died a quick death. That's real sad, because listening to this CD again 16 years later, it's quite good and should have been a big seller for the band.
Snake's vocals are very impressive throughout this one, he has a sort of punkish energy here that really seems to drive the band, but it's the guitar riffs of Piggy that really make this album a success. Riff blasters like "Fix My Heart" and "Moonbeam Rider" crackle with energy thanks to his ringing chords and tasty leads, and while this is by no means the heaviest Voivod release, the guitarist more than makes a statement here. He mixes atmospheric layers with jagged riffs on the proggy "Le Pont Noir", and pairs up with Away's intricate drum fills on the complex ripper "The Lost Machine ". You'll again be reminded of fellow Canadian's Rush on the anthem "Time Warp", while the 17-minute epic "Jack Luminous" is a grand and manic mix of progresive metal complexity and punk fury.
Metal Mind Productions remaster of this long forgotten classic sounds spectacular, and the digipack comes complete with a pair of 3D glasses so you can view the artwork in all its three-dimensional splendor. If you didn't bother to look into this release when it first came out in 1993, I highly recommend you do so now, but act fast as this one's limited to 2000 copies.
Track Listing
1. Fix My Heart
2. Moonbeam Rider
3. Le Pont Noir
4. The Nile Song (Pink Floyd cover)
5. The Lost Machine
6. Time Warp
7. Jack Luminous
8. Wrong-Way Street
9. We Are Not Alone
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