Editor's Pick 

Voivod
"Tatsumaki: Voivod Japan 2009"
MVD Visual (MVDV4843)
Grade:

After the tragic death of innovative guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, Voivod, the shadowy, futuristic prog/thrash-metal act from Canada, was supposed to be finished. 

This concert DVD, capturing Voivod performing in the Land of the Rising Sun for the first time, is proof of life. Wtih fluid precision and dynamic power, Voivod slams through songs like “Tornado,” “Brain Scan” and “Nothingface,”adroitly negotiating their tricky switchbacks, like those in “The Unknown Knows.” New guitarist Dan Mongrain is no slouch. His riffing is plenty fast and intense, and his solos are full of unexpected trickery.  

Professionally shot in 2008 for a TV broadcast, the video is crisp and clear, with three camera angles providing a variety of shots. Extras like additional live footage (three cuts from a live show in Quebec in July 2009, including “Panorama,” “Treasure Chase” and “Tornado,” that are not of the greatest sound or video quality), a cool mini-documentary — all in French, but with subtitles — and a gushing interview with the always-entertaining Dave Grohl make this a superb package for anyone — that includes punks — who appreciates intelligent, complex metal.