After the disappointing showing of their 1991 album
Angel Rat,
Voivod took two years to produce a follow-up, 1993's
The Outer Limits. And although the band offers several strong compositions, it soon becomes apparent that
Voivod had already peaked artistically on their three preceding albums. Perhaps the band's chemistry was knocked off balance by the defection of original bassist Jean-Yves Theriault after
Angel Rat's completion. Present is the group's second
Pink Floyd cover, the
Roger Waters composition "The Nile Song" (they had covered "Astronomy Domine" earlier). The opening track, "Fix My Heart," is one of the album's best, since the band sounds inspired and focused, which isn't the case on some of the album's other material. You'll also find the ambitious track "Jack Luminous" here, which twists and turns for nearly 18 minutes, recalling the days long gone when prog rock ruled the earth (especially
Yes,
Jethro Tull, etc.).
The Outer Limits would also prove to be original vocalist
Denis Belanger's last album with the group; he left after the following tour's completion. ~ Greg Prato