Pro(n)g Rock: Voivod at The Fonda
It’s a rarity that the Voivod UFO comes hovering over Los Angeles and to miss witnessing an event like this is simply a rookie metal move. Last time, the band came to El Rey opening for Revocation for an oddly mixed bill. Now, the band paired with Prong, who they took on the road decades prior to make this tour a metaphorical full circle around a distant sun. This tour saw saw them playing new music off Morgoth Tales and reaching up their sleeves to play classics and obscurities.
related content: Heavy Metal UFO: Voivod and Revocation At El Rey
Voivod is a child of thrash metal’s golden age but they were nothing like any of their contemporaries. They made songs that sounded like radioactive war ballads, long and sweeping musical tales featuring ranges of emotions, all-over-the-place instrumentation, and structure that would blow the minds of many musicians that only understood thrash as a blend of punk and metal.
This was a co-headlining tour though, and many people came for Prong, partly as a way to connect to their Danzig worship, given that Tommy Viktor is the leader of Prong and long time guitarist for Glenn, and partly because Los Angeles is a hardcore town and Prong’s gritty, rhythmic groove metal feels like pure NYHC.
Opening the night was Take Offense, Chula Vista’s premiere modern crossover kings, belting out impressive riffage the likes of which all the Venice-suicidals in attendance felt in their bones. The audience was pinballing back and forth in the pit, getting the show’s momentum up to a riveting pace early in the night. We picked up a sweat, feeling that signature So-Cal crossover attitude.
Speaking of classic thrash, it was a pleasure to see Hirax on the bill continuing to fuel the circle pit’s fire. Hailing from the bitter 80’s, Hirax is so legendary their logo was designed by Tom G. Warrior. What separates them from other bands in their lane is Katon W. De Pena, who’s vocal licks bubble with demonic blues energy.
I came to this show a little skeptical of Prong’s powers. I vaguely remembered them from my childhood downloads library. However, a few tracks on their setlist completely blew my expectations away. The groove and vibe they created in the Fonda was unlike anything I had felt at any metal or hardcore show in a long time. This was the sort of attitude and musical feeling in the air that so many bands of extreme music attempt to conjure. It’s in this attitude that Prong’s music lives, from first song to last, everyone felt pumped up, hovering through the pit with style, swagger, and supreme toughness. The band touched upon songs throughout their library, from songs off Rude Awakening, to Cleansing, to a brand-spanking new cover of Rush’s “Working Man”.
Voivod’s music took everyone a second to digest before they could find the music’s pulse and start headbanging. It was strange even for us at first viewing, then as the songs went on, the music started building a clearer picture of Voivod’s sound. It felt like we were in a space opera, hearing a narrator sing about the destruction of far away planets by intergalactic marauders.
There were a few notable classics we didn’t hear but the classic sound and musical identity of Voivod was on full display. They create music that can’t help but pervert your ear’s sensibilities the more you’re immersed into it. Songs like “Fix My Heart” and “Nuclear War” were riveting displays of intelligent noise packed with just as much thought-provoking lyrical content as gnarled riffs.
Watching veteran mastery of original lead singer, Snake and original drummer, Away, I couldn’t but help think of Bladerunner’s android. All the sights and memories, all the wisdom of extreme metal, shooting out from every digit of Voivod’s members, it made the audience go through a higher evolution into smarter, deeper metalheads. We left with a higher understanding of the genre we loved. Although the band had been breaking barriers for decades, new barriers were broken tonight inside every mind present at this show.
Words by: Rob Shepyer
Photos by: Albert Licano
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