Noise Records really gives out a beating on these pricy vinyl reissues, but what can I do - it's not like I'm not going to stock records from Celtic Frost and Voivod, two of my all-time favorite bands, right? But this 2018 Record Store Day release is definitely one just for the collectors, art-object fanatics, and the diehards. It's a limited-edition reissue of Voivod's classic Cockroaches 12" that Noise released way back in 1987, a two-song EP that followed hot on the tail that year's groundbreaking prog-thrash classic Killing Technology, which featured "Too Scared To Scream" on its track list. Later on down the road, some of the CD reissues of Technology that came out would also add the other song "Cockroaches" as a bonus track. So musically speaking, longtime Voivod fans who have these guys in their collection may well already have these recordings on hand. The tunes absolutely rip, as expected; the rampaging "Too Scared" moves at Motorhead-like tempos, a wonky speed attack with those crucial Piggy chord structures and his eccentric riffing style all over, while "Cockroaches" sounds even punkier, almost D-beat drumming driving everything and singer Snake howling like a madman, and weird squiggly solos peppering that hardcore-level intensity, with a killer syncopated breakdown deeper in the song that slightly forshadows the feel of "Tribal Convictions". Altogether not the catchiest 'Vod tunes, but

The main draw for this picture disc is that it is a complete reproduction of the original '87 Cockroaches pic disc, and along with these two ass-shredding tracks featured a huge piece of drummer Away's Voivodian artwork on the one side (the other has Buffo Schnädelbach's band pics and the EP credits) . So like I said, only essential if you are geared towards the most obsessive Voivod vinyl curation. But damn, does it look cool. Comes in a standard die-cut DJ-style jacket with the Noise International logo art printed on top.