I like Voivod but anybody listening to the out-pourings on this thread about how outstanding they were, could easily be led into believing that they were the be all and end all of progressive thrash metal. Anacrusis for example did this type of thing just as well with thrash metal and I listen to them more often than Voivod. Also progressive death metal acts such as Atheist and Tiamat were equally interesting if not better than Voivod, when it came to making groundbreaking sounds.

Would I say Voivod were one of the great bands? Probably no largely due to their vocals, but coming from the French speaking part of Canada does make them interesting.

Tiamat kinda bored me. Atheist are cool though, though "Neptune" is a horrible return for them, did not like that album at all. My first response when hearing it was... Hey Atheist, take "Jupiter" and shove it up Uranus. That album disappointed me so much... I have a feeling I will be saying the same thing when the new Cynic comes out as well.

"Forgotten in Space" is an epic song. Killing Technology slays.

The faces of Tiamat are very varied I`d say their best three albums are "Wildhoney" "A Deeper Kind of Slumber" and "Judas Christ". Especially "A Deeper Kind of Slumber" one of the most diverse metal albums I`ve ever heard and "Judas Christ" isn`t really even a metal album.

I`ve not heard "Jupiter" by Atheist but given its their first album in almost 20 years!!! I`m not expecting great things.

I was the opposite, thought... hey they were a fantastic band in their first run... now they have had 20 years to master it more, interesting to hear how they have improved and how they well adapt to the more modern scene.. it was either adapt to the times, or give a good peice of nostalgic Atheist to show the new school that the old school death metal scene still is on top of the scene... well, i guess they did adapt to a degree... just they seemed to come across as some sort of Necrophagist wankery crap. Not much in terms of the jazz elements.. just disappointing to me they lost their identity.

But whatever, the albums before are all still classic in Death Metal.. The Florida scene is my favorite scene, so many great bands come out of it... you had Death, Deicide, Morbid Angel, Brutality, Resurrection, Atheist, Cynic, Massacre and a few others who to me were just amazing... seems like all those bands who are still active are just nothing great anymore.. I know times changes and they can't live off just nostalgia, but still... just not that interesting.

I don`t see how you can expect a band after a 20 year gap to continue from where they left off! Hell not even Boston could do it!

I`m a fan of that Florida scene as well and especially love Death, Morbid Angel and Deicide as well as Atheist. I think "Symbolic" by Death and "Covenant" by Morbid Angel to be two of the best metal albums ever recorded.

I love Dimension Hattross and Nothingface but Angel Rat craps all over me - what a friggin' boring album

well i didnt expect them just do a straight up continuation, i think it is possible though for a band to still retain their classic sound while adapting it to a more modern time. That is all. Did I expect them to come out and just do "Elements" part 2? No. But I still expect something more from a band like Atheist who were talented and unique to still come out with something unique in modern times.

"Jupiter" was my most diappointing return... that is til I heard the new Morbid Angel... how they mighty have fallen on that one. Listen at your own risk on that one. Hell, I will even take Cryptopsy's "The Unspoken King" before the new Morbid Angel... awful.

I was thinking about getting one of their albums. They sound like an interesting band.

I always thought that the vocals worked in their favour personally and set them apart from many bands and never found them a problem. The vocals to me suggested that you knew that the track you were hearing was Voivod and no one else.

Good call on Anacrusis. I remember when their debut came out and most people sat back utterly bemused by them not knowing whether to admitting to liking them.