Voivod (band)
Encyclopedia
Voivod are a Canadian
heavy metal
band from Jonquière, Quebec
, Canada
. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal
band, Voivod have added a mix of progressive metal
and thrash metal
to create their own unique metal style.
Since its debut record in 1984, Voivod have released eleven studio albums as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. The band found mainstream success in the late 1980s with its most successful album Nothingface
(1989), which was the first Voivod album to enter the Billboard 200
charts, peaking at number 114. Voivod's most recent studio album is 2009's Infini
, which contains songs that were recorded prior to guitarist Piggy
's death in 2005.
, Canada
. Influenced equally by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
, the burgeoning hardcore punk
scene and 70’s progressive rock
, Voivod forged a distinctive brand of heavy music that often relied on lyrical themes such as Reagan
-era Cold War
politics, post-apocalyptic literature and science fiction
. Killing Technology
(1987) began the band's evolution in earnest, with the character from Voivod's album covers (drawn by drummer Away and named as "Korgull" on 1986's Rrroooaaarrr
) significantly being depicted in a spaceship. Drawing more heavily on hardcore punk than metal influences by this point, Voivod began evolving without the aid of increasing speed on the following Dimension Hatross. Voivod was one of the first thrash bands from Canada to gain popularity outside of their country's borders, reaching the peak of their global popularity with the 1989 release Nothingface
which featured a cover version of Pink Floyd
's "Astronomy Domine
". Other progressive rock
covers include Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song
" on their 1993 release The Outer Limits and "21st Century Schizoid Man
" by King Crimson
on Phobos. Much of the band's sound comes from guitarist Piggy's usage of dissonant chords, usually played in the high register of the guitar, used extensively on Nothingface. Albums like Dimension Hatröss
are dominated by dissonant chords, unexpected time signatures and guitarist Piggy's liberal use of unconventional minor chords.
Two of the four founding members (bassist Jean-Yves Thériault
and vocalist Denis Bélanger
) left Voivod in the early 1990s. Jean-Yves got involved with dance and electronic music, while Denis Belanger isolated himself to battle his drug problems and eventually started a new project, Union Made. Meanwhile, the band recorded four albums as a trio in the mid-to-late 1990s with new member Eric Forrest
, nicknamed "E-Force", handling both vocals and bass guitar. Forrest was badly injured in a car accident in Germany
in 1998, and that incarnation of Voivod never regained the momentum they lost during his rehabilitation. After Eric Forrest
left the band, his insurance company attempted to sue the band for the injuries he sustained in the crash, as he was in the care of the band at the time. Voivod briefly disbanded in 2001 before Bélanger returned to the band. The last incarnation of Voivod featured three of the four founding members: Denis Bélanger
(aka Snake, vocals), Denis D'Amour
(Piggy, guitars), and Michel Langevin
(Away, drums) along with Jason Newsted
(Jasonic, of Flotsam and Jetsam
and Metallica
) on bass guitar. Guitarist Denis D'Amour died at the age of 45 on 26 August 2005 due to complications from colon cancer. Soon after they released Katorz (which is an "alternative" way of writing "quatorze", fourteen in French), in July 2006. The album is based around riffs found on the laptop of guitarist Denis D'Amour. Just prior to his death, he left instructions for his fellow bandmates on how to use them. In November 2006, the song "X-Stream" was featured on Guitar Hero II
.
Langevin confirmed that Voivod were planning to work on their final studio album in late 2007, which will contain tracks recorded with D'Amour before his death. For the recordings of this final album the band had invited their previous members Blacky and Eric Forrest. Langevin also launched a new 'kraut rock
-esque' band in 2007, Kosmos, who issued a self-titled debut via the End Records in September. Voivod was part of the Heavy MTL show that was held in Montreal on the 22nd of June, 2008. Voivod also performed at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Calgary, Canada on 26 July 2008, and supported Judas Priest at the Bell Center, Montreal, Canada on 12 August 2008. Voivod also played a full set at Thrash Domination in Kawasaki, Japan, 20–21 September 2008, along with the bands Testament
and Forbidden
. The band consisted of Bélanger, Langevin, Thériault, and Dan Mongrain
on Guitar.
In early January 2009, Voivod announced that they were putting the finishing touches on their new album and expected to release it in the spring of that year. The album, now known as Infini
, was released on June 23, 2009.
According to an interview with Langevin, Voivod have been writing and recording new music (including Dan Mongrain on guitar). Langevin stated that it was too early to tell if the recordings would result in a new Voivod album.
Drummer Michel "Away" Langevin of Canadian metal innovators Voivod tells myTELUS in a new interview that the band is planning on releasing a live album and a new studio CD in 2012.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band from Jonquière, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
band, Voivod have added a mix of progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
and thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
to create their own unique metal style.
Since its debut record in 1984, Voivod have released eleven studio albums as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. The band found mainstream success in the late 1980s with its most successful album Nothingface
Nothingface (album)
Nothingface is the fifth album by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released by Mechanic/MCA Records on October 13, 1989. The album marked a change for the band, expanding their sound and exploring more progressive sounds...
(1989), which was the first Voivod album to enter the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
charts, peaking at number 114. Voivod's most recent studio album is 2009's Infini
Infini (album)
Infini is the fifteenth album, and the twelfth studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was released on June 23, 2009. It is their last album to include contributions by their late original guitarist Piggy.-Track listing:...
, which contains songs that were recorded prior to guitarist Piggy
Denis D'Amour
Denis "Piggy" D'Amour was the guitarist for the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod from its inception in 1982 until his death from colon cancer in 2005, aged 45. His approach to music was anarchic and experimental rather than strict and theoretical. He was trained in classical violin as a child...
's death in 2005.
History
Voivod was formed in 1982 in Jonquière, QuebecJonquière, Quebec
Jonquière was a city on the Saguenay River in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, near Chicoutimi. In 2002, Jonquière became an arrondissement, or borough, of the merged city of Saguenay....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Influenced equally by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
, the burgeoning hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
scene and 70’s progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
, Voivod forged a distinctive brand of heavy music that often relied on lyrical themes such as Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
-era Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
politics, post-apocalyptic literature and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. Killing Technology
Killing Technology
Killing Technology is the third album from Canadian Thrash metal/Progressive metal band Voivod. It was released in 1987 on Noise Records and was the first to add the progressive sound in their thrash metal reportire...
(1987) began the band's evolution in earnest, with the character from Voivod's album covers (drawn by drummer Away and named as "Korgull" on 1986's Rrroooaaarrr
Rrröööaaarrr
Rrröööaaarrr is the second album by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released in 1986 on Noise Records.-Track listing:*All lyrics by Snake/all music by Piggy, Blacky & Away# "Korgüll the Exterminator" - 4:57...
) significantly being depicted in a spaceship. Drawing more heavily on hardcore punk than metal influences by this point, Voivod began evolving without the aid of increasing speed on the following Dimension Hatross. Voivod was one of the first thrash bands from Canada to gain popularity outside of their country's borders, reaching the peak of their global popularity with the 1989 release Nothingface
Nothingface (album)
Nothingface is the fifth album by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released by Mechanic/MCA Records on October 13, 1989. The album marked a change for the band, expanding their sound and exploring more progressive sounds...
which featured a cover version of Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Astronomy Domine
Astronomy Domine
"Astronomy Domine" is a song by British psychedelic rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, was the first track featured on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn . The lead vocal was sung by Barrett and keyboard player Richard...
". Other progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
covers include Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song
The Nile Song
"The Nile Song" is the second song from Pink Floyd's 1969 album, Soundtrack from the Film More. Released as a single in 1969, it was written by Roger Waters. The B-side "Ibiza Bar"; also from the album More, reprises a similar theme. Andy Kellman of Allmusic describes "The Nile Song" as "one of the...
" on their 1993 release The Outer Limits and "21st Century Schizoid Man
21st Century Schizoid Man
"21st Century Schizoid Man" is a song by progressive rock band King Crimson from their debut album In the Court of the Crimson King.-Personnel:* Greg Lake – Vocals, bass guitar* Ian McDonald – saxophone* Robert Fripp – guitars* Michael Giles – drums...
" by King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
on Phobos. Much of the band's sound comes from guitarist Piggy's usage of dissonant chords, usually played in the high register of the guitar, used extensively on Nothingface. Albums like Dimension Hatröss
Dimension Hatröss
Dimension Hatröss is the fourth album from the Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released on June 29, 1988 on Noise Records. The Batman theme's cover only appears on the CD version, it is not present on the original vinyl and cassette pressings.-Track listing:All Songs...
are dominated by dissonant chords, unexpected time signatures and guitarist Piggy's liberal use of unconventional minor chords.
Two of the four founding members (bassist Jean-Yves Thériault
Jean-Yves Thériault
For the Champion Kickboxer, see Jean-Yves Thériault Jean-Yves Thériault played bass guitar for the Canadian thrash/progressive metal band Voivod. He co-founded the band and appeared on the first six albums – War and Pain, Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross, Nothingface, and Angel...
and vocalist Denis Bélanger
Denis Bélanger
Denis "Snake" Bélanger is the vocalist of the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod.He helped co-found the group in 1982, and appeared on nine albums - War & Pain, Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology, Dimension Hatröss, Nothingface, Angel Rat and The Outer Limits...
) left Voivod in the early 1990s. Jean-Yves got involved with dance and electronic music, while Denis Belanger isolated himself to battle his drug problems and eventually started a new project, Union Made. Meanwhile, the band recorded four albums as a trio in the mid-to-late 1990s with new member Eric Forrest
Eric Forrest
Eric Forrest is a Canadian heavy metal musician. Active since 1988, Forrest is best known known for playing in a number of metal bands, including Voivod and E-Force....
, nicknamed "E-Force", handling both vocals and bass guitar. Forrest was badly injured in a car accident in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1998, and that incarnation of Voivod never regained the momentum they lost during his rehabilitation. After Eric Forrest
Eric Forrest
Eric Forrest is a Canadian heavy metal musician. Active since 1988, Forrest is best known known for playing in a number of metal bands, including Voivod and E-Force....
left the band, his insurance company attempted to sue the band for the injuries he sustained in the crash, as he was in the care of the band at the time. Voivod briefly disbanded in 2001 before Bélanger returned to the band. The last incarnation of Voivod featured three of the four founding members: Denis Bélanger
Denis Bélanger
Denis "Snake" Bélanger is the vocalist of the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod.He helped co-found the group in 1982, and appeared on nine albums - War & Pain, Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology, Dimension Hatröss, Nothingface, Angel Rat and The Outer Limits...
(aka Snake, vocals), Denis D'Amour
Denis D'Amour
Denis "Piggy" D'Amour was the guitarist for the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod from its inception in 1982 until his death from colon cancer in 2005, aged 45. His approach to music was anarchic and experimental rather than strict and theoretical. He was trained in classical violin as a child...
(Piggy, guitars), and Michel Langevin
Michel Langevin
Michel "Away" Langevin is a founding member and drummer for the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. He has been a constant member of the band since its formation in 1982...
(Away, drums) along with Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
(Jasonic, of Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...
and Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
) on bass guitar. Guitarist Denis D'Amour died at the age of 45 on 26 August 2005 due to complications from colon cancer. Soon after they released Katorz (which is an "alternative" way of writing "quatorze", fourteen in French), in July 2006. The album is based around riffs found on the laptop of guitarist Denis D'Amour. Just prior to his death, he left instructions for his fellow bandmates on how to use them. In November 2006, the song "X-Stream" was featured on Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. It is the second installment in the Guitar Hero series and is the sequel to Guitar Hero...
.
Langevin confirmed that Voivod were planning to work on their final studio album in late 2007, which will contain tracks recorded with D'Amour before his death. For the recordings of this final album the band had invited their previous members Blacky and Eric Forrest. Langevin also launched a new 'kraut rock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
-esque' band in 2007, Kosmos, who issued a self-titled debut via the End Records in September. Voivod was part of the Heavy MTL show that was held in Montreal on the 22nd of June, 2008. Voivod also performed at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Calgary, Canada on 26 July 2008, and supported Judas Priest at the Bell Center, Montreal, Canada on 12 August 2008. Voivod also played a full set at Thrash Domination in Kawasaki, Japan, 20–21 September 2008, along with the bands Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and Forbidden
Forbidden (band)
Forbidden is a thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area. Formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, the group was founded by Russ Anderson and Craig Locicero, who are both permanent members. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes...
. The band consisted of Bélanger, Langevin, Thériault, and Dan Mongrain
Dan Mongrain
Daniel Mongrain is a co-founder of the Quebec technical metal band Martyr. He composes, sings and plays lead and rhythm guitar...
on Guitar.
In early January 2009, Voivod announced that they were putting the finishing touches on their new album and expected to release it in the spring of that year. The album, now known as Infini
Infini (album)
Infini is the fifteenth album, and the twelfth studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was released on June 23, 2009. It is their last album to include contributions by their late original guitarist Piggy.-Track listing:...
, was released on June 23, 2009.
According to an interview with Langevin, Voivod have been writing and recording new music (including Dan Mongrain on guitar). Langevin stated that it was too early to tell if the recordings would result in a new Voivod album.
Drummer Michel "Away" Langevin of Canadian metal innovators Voivod tells myTELUS in a new interview that the band is planning on releasing a live album and a new studio CD in 2012.
Line-ups
| (1982–1991) |
|
|---|---|
| (1991–1992) |
|
| (1992–1993) |
|
| (1993–1994) |
|
| (1994–2001) |
Eric Forrest Eric Forrest is a Canadian heavy metal musician. Active since 1988, Forrest is best known known for playing in a number of metal bands, including Voivod and E-Force.... (Eric Forrest) – lead vocals, bass |
| (2001–2002) |
(Voivod on hiatus) |
| (2002–2005) |
|
| (2005–2008) |
(Voivod on hiatus) |
| (2008–present) |
|
Discography
- War and Pain (1984)
- RrröööaaarrrRrröööaaarrrRrröööaaarrr is the second album by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released in 1986 on Noise Records.-Track listing:*All lyrics by Snake/all music by Piggy, Blacky & Away# "Korgüll the Exterminator" - 4:57...
(1986) - Killing TechnologyKilling TechnologyKilling Technology is the third album from Canadian Thrash metal/Progressive metal band Voivod. It was released in 1987 on Noise Records and was the first to add the progressive sound in their thrash metal reportire...
(1987) - Dimension HatrössDimension HatrössDimension Hatröss is the fourth album from the Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released on June 29, 1988 on Noise Records. The Batman theme's cover only appears on the CD version, it is not present on the original vinyl and cassette pressings.-Track listing:All Songs...
(1988) - NothingfaceNothingface (album)Nothingface is the fifth album by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released by Mechanic/MCA Records on October 13, 1989. The album marked a change for the band, expanding their sound and exploring more progressive sounds...
(1989) - Angel RatAngel RatAngel Rat is the sixth album released by the Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. Produced by Terry Brown of Rush fame, it was released in 1991 by Mechanic/MCA Records and is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed release, 1989's Nothingface...
(1991) - The Outer LimitsThe Outer Limits (album)The Outer Limits is the seventh album released by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, issued via Mechanic/MCA Records in 1993. This was the final album to feature vocalist Denis Bélanger until his 2002 return....
(1993) - NegatronNegatron (album)Negatron was the eighth album released by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released in 1995 on Hypnotic Records. It is also the first album to feature Eric Forrest on bass and vocals, whom many fans criticise for what they feel were less-than-stellar performances, in...
(1995) - PhobosPhobos (album)Phobos was the ninth album released by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It was released on Slipdisc/Hypnotic Records in 1997.-Track listing:*Music by D'Amour, Forrest, Langevin except where indicated...
(1997) - VoivodVoivod (album)Voivod is the thirteenth album, and tenth studio album, by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod and the first to feature, since 1993's Outer Limits, returning vocalist Denis Bélanger and bassist Jason Newsted , formerly of Metallica...
(2003) - KatorzKatorzKatorz is the fourteenth album, and the eleventh studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, and was released on July 25, 2006. The name of the album is phonetic for "quatorze", the French word for fourteen....
(2006) - InfiniInfini (album)Infini is the fifteenth album, and the twelfth studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was released on June 23, 2009. It is their last album to include contributions by their late original guitarist Piggy.-Track listing:...
(2009) - TBA (2012)
External links
- Official website
- Official fan website
- Official fan website
- Record Label
- Voivod at Exclaim!Exclaim!Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...