by Greg Prato
Despite entering their third decade together by the dawn of the new millennium, Canadian metal vets Voivod had yet to issue a live album. But this oversight was corrected with the arrival of Lives in 2000. During the mid-'90s, bassist/vocalist Eric Forrest replaced original frontman Denis &Snake& Belanger, which as a result saw Voivod return to their metallic roots and shy away from the melodic direction of Nothingface and Angel Rat. What you get is an 11-track collection of tracks that spans the group's entire career, from early classics (&Voivod,& &Ravenous Medicine&) through to the &Forrest era& (&Negatron,& &Project X&), with even a surprise cover, Venom's &In League with Satan.& While admirers of late-'90s-era Voivod will fine plenty here to sink their teeth into, fans of the group's earlier aforementioned eras may be a bit disappointed (although a rendition of &The Prow& from Angel Rat was included as a bonus on most CDs, as well as another track, the latter-day &Forlorn&). Hopefully someday soon, Voivod will open the vaults and compile a live set that spans the '80s.