Voivod (band)

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Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox musical artist

Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière (now part of Saguenay) Quebec. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault. The band has had numerous members changes throughout its Template:Age-year career, with Langevin as the only consistent member. Their current line-up includes Langevin, Bélanger, Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitar) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass).

Voivod's musical style has changed several times since its inception. Starting out as a speed metal band, they have added a mix of progressive and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and have been credited as progenitors of the "technical thrash metal" sound along with Coroner, Watchtower, Dark Angel, Mekong Delta, Anacrusis and Blind Illusion, among others.<ref name="ultimateguitar">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

To date, Voivod has released sixteen studio albums, as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. They have been grouped with Sacrifice, Razor and Annihilator in the "Big Four" of Canadian thrash metal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album Nothingface (1989), which is Voivod's only album to enter the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number 114.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The band won the "Visionary" award at the 2017 Progressive Music Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2019, Voivod's fourteenth studio album, The Wake, won the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Voivod's most recent studio album Morgöth Tales, a collection of re-recorded songs, was released in July 2023.

History

Early career (1982–1990)

The original Voivod line-up in a 1986 promotional photo. From left to right: Away, Piggy, Blacky and Snake.

Voivod was formed in 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec. Influenced equally by the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), the burgeoning hardcore punk scene and 1970s 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 "Korgull" on 1986's Rrröööaaarrr) significantly being depicted in a spaceship. Drawing more heavily on hardcore punk than metal influences by this point,<ref>Terrorizer No. 168, February 2008</ref> Voivod began evolving without the aid of increasing speed and storytelling on the following Dimension Hatross.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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 album Nothingface, which featured a cover version of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine".<ref name="am">Template:Cite web</ref> Other covers include Pink Floyd's "The Nile Song" on their 1993 album The Outer Limits and "21st Century Schizoid Man" by King Crimson on Phobos. Much of the band's sound comes from guitarist Piggy's use of dissonant chords, usually played in the high register of the guitar, combined with Blacky's bass tone and chords as well, used extensively on Nothingface. Albums like Dimension Hatröss are dominated by unexpected time signatures and both Piggy and Blacky's liberal use of dissonant, unconventional minor chords.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Departures of Blacky and Snake, and Eric Forrest-era (1991–2000)

Two of the four founding members (bassist Jean-Yves Thériault and vocalist Denis Bélanger) left Voivod in the early 1990s. Jean-Yves co-founded The Holy Body Tattoo, an avant-garde modern dance company based in Vancouver BC and also wrote extensively all the music for it, as well as other electronic music projects, while Denis Bélanger isolated himself 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 seriously 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.

Reunion with Snake, arrival of Jasonic, and death of Piggy (2001–2006)

Voivod briefly disbanded in 2001 before Bélanger returned to the band.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next incarnation of Voivod featured three of the four founding members: Denis Bélanger (a.k.a. "Snake"; vocals), Denis D'Amour ("Piggy"; guitars), and Michel Langevin ("Away"; drums) along with Jason Newsted ("Jasonic", formerly of Metallica) on bass guitar. The album Voivod was released in 2003. Guitarist Denis D'Amour died at the age of 45 on August 26, 2005 due to complications from colon cancer. In July 2006 they released Katorz, based around riffs found on the laptop of D'Amour. Just prior to his death, he left instructions for his bandmates on how to use them. In November 2006, the song "X-Stream" was featured on Guitar Hero II.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Infini, return of Blacky, and Target Earth (2007–2013)

Voivod at Masters of Rock 2009

Voivod were planning to work on what was to be their final studio album in late 2007, which contained tracks recorded with D'Amour before his death. Voivod was part of the Heavy MTL show that was held in Montreal on June 22, 2008. Voivod also performed at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Calgary, Alberta, on July 26, 2008, and supported Judas Priest at the Bell Centre in Montreal, on August 12, 2008. Voivod also played a full set at Thrash Domination in Kawasaki, Japan, September 20–21, 2008, along with the bands Testament and Forbidden. The band consisted of Bélanger, Langevin, a returning "Blacky" 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

By July 2010, Voivod had been writing and recording new music (including Dan Mongrain on guitar). On July 4, 2012, Voivod announced the title of their thirteenth studio album, Target Earth, which was released on January 22, 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Target Earth has a more progressive sound than some of their last few albums, and is a return to a more "classic" Voivod sound that can be heard on Dimension Hatross and Nothingface. All the music was written by Blacky and Chewy, while Snake focused on lyrics, and Away took care of the artwork.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Second departure of Blacky and arrival of Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (2014–present)

On July 10, 2014, it was reported that Blacky had left Voivod again.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was announced that he was forced out of the band. In late January 2015 the band released the new single "We Are Connected" which is the lead track from the 7-inch split vinyl disc with the band At the Gates. It is the first music to feature new bassist Dominic "Rocky" Laroche. They also released a new, five-track EP, entitled Post Society, featuring two new tracks and a cover of Hawkwind's "Silver Machine", on February 26, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As early as February 2015, Voivod began work on their fourteenth studio album, which was to be released in 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but later pushed back to 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band was expected to begin recording the album in August 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In June 2017, Langevin told Rock Sverige that the songwriting was almost completed with an estimated release for early 2018. He also said that the album would probably be a double-album on vinyl due to the songs being "really long and progressive", describing them as "seven or eight minutes long songs" and with it being a concept album as well.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In November 2017, the members of Voivod began recording their next studio album,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> titled The Wake, which was released in September 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2019, it was revealed that the master tapes for Voivod's MCA-era albums were destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Voivod's fifteenth studio album, Synchro Anarchy, was released on February 11, 2022.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band released Morgöth Tales, a collection of re-recorded songs, on July 21, 2023.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, the band was writing new music for their next record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Musical style, influences, and legacy

Voivod's style has been classified as progressive metal,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> thrash metal,<ref name="am"/> technical thrash metal,<ref name="ultimateguitar"/> and avant-garde metal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Their earlier albums have been labeled speed metal,<ref name="am"/><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> while Angel Rat has been labelled alternative metal.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Their influences include Béla Bartók, Igor Stravinsky, Dimitri Shostakovich, Yes, Einstürzende Neubauten, GBH, Genesis, Hawkwind, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Killing Joke, King Crimson, Motörhead, Sodom, Nektar, Pink Floyd, Ramones, Rush, Van der Graaf Generator, Venom, and UFO.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The band has been praised for their unique approach, or cited as an influence, by other bands and artists such as Pantera,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Meshuggah, Fear Factory, the Fierce and the Dead,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Jason Newsted (Voivod's bassist for their 2000s albums), and Dave Grohl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eduardo Rivadavia of Loudwire called the band "the preeminent space metal band of our times."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Band members

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Guest musicians

  • Pierre St-Jean – bass (1992–1993, on The Outer Limits)
  • Martin Bolduc – bass (1993–1994)
  • Gilles Brisebois – bass (1994)
  • Vincent Peake – bass (2002)

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Former

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Timeline <timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:18 PlotArea = left:90 bottom:60 top:10 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1982 till:03/12/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors = 

 id:Vocals value:red        legend:Vocals
 id:Guitar value:green      legend:Guitars
 id:Bass   value:blue       legend:Bass
 id:Drums  value:orange     legend:Drums
 id:Studio value:black      legend:Studio_album
 id:bars   value:gray(0.93)

BackgroundColors = bars:bars

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:3 start:1982 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1982

LineData = 

 color:Studio layer:back
 at:08/10/1984 
 at:03/14/1986
 at:04/03/1987
 at:06/29/1988
 at:10/13/1989
 at:11/12/1991
 at:08/03/1993
 at:11/21/1995
 at:08/12/1997
 at:03/04/2003
 at:07/25/2006
 at:06/23/2009
 at:01/23/2013
 at:09/21/2018
 at:02/11/2022
 at:07/21/2023

BarData = 

 bar:Bélanger  text:"Snake"
 bar:Forrest   text:"E-Force"
 bar:D'Amour   text:"Piggy"
 bar:Mongrain  text:"Chewy"
 bar:Thériault text:"Blacky"
 bar:Newsted   text:"Jasonic"
 bar:Laroche   text:"Rocky"
 bar:Langevin  text:"Away"

PlotData= 

 width:11
 bar:Bélanger  from:start till:03/01/1994      color:Vocals
 bar:Forrest   from:03/01/1994 till:11/01/2001 color:Vocals
 bar:Bélanger  from:11/01/2001 till:end        color:Vocals
 bar:D'Amour   from:start till:08/26/2005      color:Guitar
 bar:Mongrain  from:06/01/2008 till:end        color:Guitar
 bar:Thériault from:start till:12/31/1991      color:Bass
 bar:Thériault from:06/01/2008 till:07/13/2014 color:Bass
 bar:Newsted   from:11/01/2001 till:06/01/2008 color:Bass
 bar:Langevin  from:start till:end             color:Drums
 bar:Laroche   from:07/13/2014 till:end        color:Bass
 width:3
 bar:Forrest   from:03/01/1994 till:11/01/2001 color:Bass

</timeline>

Discography

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References

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