Voivod - RSS Feed

News: Voivod #8 on Gibson.com reader's poll

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Gibson.com Readers Poll – Top 25 Guitar Albums

The readers have spoken and, actually, come up with results that are fairly similar to the overall list. Nine of the readers’ Top 10 are identical to the final list (although the order is much different). You also showed love for bands and albums that don’t always get the spotlight: Voivod’s Nothingface, Patto’s Hold Your Fire and Ten Years After’s Recorded Live.

1. The Allman Brothers Band, At Fillmore East

2. Derek and the Dominos, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs

3. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II

4. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin IV

5. Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction

6. AC/DC, Back in Black

7. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced

8. Voivod, Nothingface

9. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Electric Ladyland

10. Van Halen, Van Halen

11. Lynyrd Skynyrd, One More from the Road

12. Patto, Hold Your Fire

13. Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti

14. Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon

15. Jeff Beck, Blow by Blow

16. Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin

17. The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers

18. Cream, Disraeli Gears

19. Metallica, Master of Puppets

20. AC/DC, Highway to Hell

21. Ten Years After, Recorded Live

22. The Rolling Stones, Exile on Main St.

23. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Axis: Bold as Love

24. Steve Vai, Passion and Warfare

25. (tie) John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Blues Breakers Featuring Eric Clapton; Jeff Beck, Truth; Rush, 2112

News: New book on Progressive Heavy Metal

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Our friend Jeff Wagner has a new book out with front cover graphic by Michel "Away" Langevin

See the links below for more information regarding Mean Deviation: Four Decades of Progressive Heavy Metal. The cover features exclusive art by Away, with more exclusive art by him throughout the book. Voivod shares half a chapter with Celtic Frost (I did an interview with Away for this book, and also used things from older interviews I'd done), and there are numerous images and mentions of Voivod throughout.

thanks for checking it out:

http://www.bazillionpoints.com/progress/

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=144699

to the death,
Jeff Wagner

News: Tour IntEruptus

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Russian dates postponed due to....A VOLCANO!
New rescheduled dates will be announced soon, tentatively for Septmeber 2010

Voivod are truly bummed out by this and were looking forward to the tour and meeting new fans in Moscow and beautiful St. Petersburg.
A strange coincidence to this story being the last song on the new record Infini is called...Volcano.

VOIVOD won the award for Metal Group of The Year at the 2010 INDIES at Canadian Music Week, while on their first US tour since Ozzfest 2003
The band also played 4 shows at SXSW, with Motorhead for the Lemmy Movie launch, for Thrasher magazine, for Brooklyn Vegan/M is for Montreal and for Relapse Records showcase

Press: Editors Pick DVD Review

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Professionally shot in 2008 for a TV broadcast, the video is crisp and clear, with three camera angles providing a variety of shots. Extras like additional live footage (three cuts from a live show in Quebec in July 2009, including “Panorama,” “Treasure Chase” and “Tornado,” that are not of the greatest sound or video quality), a cool mini-documentary — all in French, but with subtitles — and a gushing interview with the always-entertaining Dave Grohl make this a superb package for anyone — that includes punks — who appreciates intelligent, complex metal. - Goldmine

Press: Voivod announced on Scion Rock Festival

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Vince and I had an AMAZING time at least year’s absolutely free Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta, GA. For the price of, well, nothing, we can to watch Mastodon, Neurosis, Pig Destroyer, Converge, Kylesa, Torche, Wolves in the Throne Room, Salome, and a host of other awesome bands. It was really quite the experience. And did I mention it was FREE?!? Well, Toyota is it again this year, and Scion Rock Fest 2010 will take place on Saturday, March 13, this time in Columbus, OH. Vince and Kip Wingerschmidt are 100% committed to being there, and I’m trying to figure shit out right now. Meanwhile, the line-up is, once again, really killer. - Metal Sucks

News: VOIVOD Confirmed For Germany's WACKEN OPEN AIR Festival

Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Happy New Year everyone!

Voivod is stoked to be playing The Wacken Festival this summer with some great truly great acts, here is a partial list.

VOIVOD Confirmed For Germany's WACKEN OPEN AIR Festival - Jan. 7, 2010

Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 5-7, 2010 in Wacken, Germany.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ALICE COOPER
ARCH ENEMY
AMORPHIS
CANNIBAL CORPSE
IRON MAIDEN
KATAKLYSM
MÖTLEY CRÜE
SLAYER
STRATOVARIUS
VOIVOD

Press: Music DVD Review: Voivod - Tatsumaki

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The show opens up with a super-charged take on their anthemic song “Voivod,” and never lets up. Right off the bat, Mongrain shows what he is made of with a smokin' hot solo. The pace never lets up as the band rip through great live versions of “The Unknown Knows,” “Overreaction,” “Panorama,” and “Nothingface,” to mention a few highlights of the 12 song set. - Blog Critics

News: Voivod #5 on Exclaim Metal albums of the year

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=139&csid2=864&fid1=42687

5. Voivod - Infini (Sonic Unyon)
Infini ― like every album from Quebec metal legends Voivod ― rocked
hard, classy and skilful, but after the last headbang, those heads
remained lowered out of respect for the late Piggy, whose last recorded
axe work graced this disc. While metalheads await word on the band's
future, they can pass the time with this album, which nailed down the
straight-ahead punked-up metal that defined the band's Newsted era,
while also having enough moments of 'vod dissonance and quirkiness for
the old-schoolers.
-Greg Pratt

News: VOIVOD: ‘Infini’ Streaming Now

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

PRESS RELEASE

June 23, 2009

VOIVOD: ‘Infini’ Streaming Now

  VOIVOD’s brand new album Infini is currently streaming in its entirety at VoivodInfini.info <http://www.voivodinfini.info/> . Infini, which includes the last 13 VOIVOD tracks to be written with late guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, sees it North American release date today, Tuesday June 23rd. Infini is available as a deluxe digi-pack CD and digital download with the double-LP vinyl pressing now available here <http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=34128> .
   VOIVOD is currently touring in Europe, hitting a number of open-air festivals in support of Infini. VOIVOD’s touring lineup includes Denis “Snake” Bélanger (vocals), Michel “Away” Langevin (drums), Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault (bass) and MARTYR’s Dan Mongrain (guitars). The band has also recently announced a handful of Canadian dates with New Orleans, LA’s DOWN. A listing of confirmed VOIVOD appearances can be found below with more details to be announced soon.
   For more information on VOIVOD, please contact Betsey Cichoracki, Relapse Records Media Relations, at (610)734-1000 x106 or Betsey@Relapse.com. Updated VOIVOD news / album information will be made available via the Relapse Records website: www.RELAPSE.com <http://www.relapse.com/> , the VOIVOD website: www.Voivod.com <http://www.voivod.com/> and MySpace: www.MySpace.com/Voivod <http://www.myspace.com/Voivod> .

VOIVOD Tour Dates:

June 23                  Budapest, Hungary        Petofi Csamok (w/ DOWN)
June 26                  Balingen, Germany       Bang Your Head Festival
June 27                  Bologna, Italy               Gods Of Metal Festival
June 29                  Athens, Greece            Rockwave Festival
July 3                      Quebec City, QC           Woodstock en Beauce
July 4                      Jonquiere, QC               Place Nikitoutagan
July 11                    Krakow, Poland              Knock Out Festival
July 12                    Vizovice, Czech Rep.     Masters Of Rock Festival
July 17                   Quebec City, QC          Festival D’Ete Imperial Theatre
July 25                   Lorca, Spain                 Lorca Rock
July 26                   Barcelona, Spain          Apolo (w/ SEPULTURA)
August 6                Winnipeg, MB               Burton Cummins Theatre (w/ DOWN)
August 7                Edmonton, AB              Edmonton Events Centre (w/ DOWN)
August 8                Calgary, AB                  MacEwan Hall (w/ DOWN)
August 10              Vancouver, BC              The Commodore (w/ DOWN)
August 14              Oulu, Finland                Jalometalli Metal Music Festival
August 15              Dinkelsbuhl, Germany    Summer Breeze Festival
August 28              Bergen, Norway               Hole In The Sky Festival
August 29              Oslo, Norway                John Dee
September 18        Toronto, ON                  The Koolhaus (w/ DOWN)

  “Riffs are raw and meaty, with touches of the abstraction that made earlier Voivod so great….Voivod [have] finished on a high note.” – Decibel

  “a final taste of Piggy’s power” – Revolver

   “Infini is bound to be one of metal’s most important releases in 2009.” – Stonerrock.com

  “Infini successfully closes out Voivod’s long and influential run, leaving a lasting legacy on metal.” – HeavyMetal.About.com

   “If Infini turns out to be the final Voivod album, then the group has gone out on a high note -- with help from one of metal's most underrated guitarists of all-time.” – All Music Guide

  “The record captures the frenetic energy that is Voivod in an entire new light showing everybody that no matter how legendary you are you have to grow and evolve musically.” – Crave Online

Betsey Cichoracki
Press Coordinator / Director of Online Media
Relapse Records / Release Entertainment
1.610.734.1000 x106
betsey@relapse.com

News: New DVD available in November

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0800

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=128249

VOIVOD: 'Tatsumaki: Voivod In Japan 2008' DVD Due In November - Oct. 6, 2009

"Tatsumaki: Voivod Japan 2008", a brand new DVD from Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD, will be released on November 17 via MVD Entertainment Group. The disc will contain professionally filmed footage (three-camera shoot) of VOIVOD's September 20, 2008 concert at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan. The band was in Japan taking part in the two-night Thrash Domination 2008 event alongside TESTAMENT and FORBIDDEN.

The track listing is as follows:

* Voivod
* The Prow
* The Unknown Knows
* Ravenous Medicine
* Overreaction
* Tribal Convictions
* Tornado
* Panorama
* Nuclear War
* Nothingface
* Brain Scan
* Astronomy Domine

Bonus Materials:

* Live in Quebec City (July 2009) performing:

01. Panorama
02. Treasure Chase
03. Tornado

* Interview with Dave Grohl
* "Panorama: Seeking Voivod" (unreleased French mini doc film with English subtitles)
* Trip Photos

A clip of the "Voivod" performance from the "Tatsumaki: Voivod in Japan 2008" DVD can be viewed below.

Band lineup for Kawasaki, Japan concert:

Denis "Snake" Belanger - Vocals
Michel "Away" Langevin - Drums
Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault - Bass
Dan Mongrain (MARTYR) - Guitar

"This is the most bad-ass band I ever heard in my life. Every musician has a signature, VOIVOD had four. VOIVOD sounded like no one else. They are one of a kind." - Dave Grohl (FOO FIGHTERS, NIRVANA)

"Infini", the latest album from VOIVOD, landed at position No. 67 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

VOIVOD's final album featuring the group's late guitarist, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, "Infini" was released in the U.S. on June 23 via Relapse Records. The CD, which was issued in Europe via Nuclear Blast, contains the last thirteen songs written by Piggy and again features bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted (ex-METALLICA). Jason played bass on all the songs and mixed the album, which was released as a deluxe, digipack CD and was also issued on vinyl as a double LP.

"Infini" was built from the final songs created by the band with D'Amour. All his original demo guitar tracks appear as they were recorded — with no re-amping and no overdubs; just Piggy as he played the tracks he envisioned in his small bachelor apartment, the amp in the bathroom, capturing his performance with the laptop given to him by Jason.

Press: Swept away by the many moods and twists that are the hallmark of VOIVOD's musical legacy

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0800

The album on the whole is a very fluid and well-crafted piece of work, especially notable given that the band had to work on the material without the crucial input and actual in-studio presence of D'Amour. You might expect an album full of hodge-podge leftovers, the remains of what was not used for Katorz, but that doesn't seem to be the case. The more I listen to the album, the more I am able to grasp a continuous thread and feel that runs throughout it. For me, being a long-time fan of the band, that factor has always been a crucial component of their albums- the feeling that you are taken on a journey with many twists and turns along the way, but never losing touch with that "vibe" that's established at the start. - Mettallus Maximus

Press: Never say Die

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Never say die Not even the passing of Voivod’s founder can keep the legendary Quebec metal outfit from realizing their vision BY Chris Bilton - Eye Magazine

News: New Record New Site

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Welcome to the new Voivod.com, finally we have a new site with an easy interface for us to update on the fly thanks to Steve at FourFour.com. This site will focus on current events, the new record Infini and the live band. Voivod.net thanks to Yurri, will remain the vault and comprehensive site for all era’s of Voivod as well as the infamous voivodfan.com and it's forum. Give us some slack as we populate the site and bring her up to warp speed.

Here we go, Voivod Mach 3 recorded Infini, Voivod Mach 4 is on tour and Voivod Mach 5 is in the works…got that?

Infini was Piggy’s brainchild, the beautiful little man left the world a gift that Snake wrote the lyrics to and sang his brains out for, Away did the drums and the artwork, not once but twice to the whole record with Glen Robinson tracking the final vocals and drums, Jasonic well he fucking rocked the bass, and his beloved Theramin to create the great sound effects, with Enrique Gonzalez Muller minding the meters, then they mixed the whole thing like only they could. The end result is Infini, which is now available throughout this Universe on Nuclear Blast, Relapse, JVC Victor and Sonic Unyon records. The results are astounding considering the circumstances, the budget and the geography involved. This is Mach 3’s crowning piece to The Voivod story. 3 records from 2002 to 2009 “Voivod” “Katorz” and “Infini”, there will never be a Mach 3 again. Denis D’Amour, Michel Langevin, Denis Belanger, Jason Newsted …the gods of rock thank you.

Mach 4 was a risk that had to be taken, with Jason sidelined, no guitar player and very little incentive to put the Voivod machine on a stage again, it seemed that Voivod was over…or was it? Piggy went to all the trouble to get his songs in order while he was dying when he could have let it be and lived out his last days doing something else but the motherfucker never ever gave up on Voivod, he loved Voivod, he was proud of Voivod and his efforts left his friends a and fans a reason to carry on. Snake ignited the spark that fueled the birth of Mach 4, he said “if we never play the songs again does that mean they die with Piggy?” Would he not want his creations to be shared and experienced by old and new fans alike? Problem was who could even come close to doing what he did with a guitar? Dan Mongrain was the answer, a Quebecker, a Piggy worshipper and a music prof to boot. What about Bass? Blacky? WTF? Never in a million….he said yes, they jammed and they had shit eating grins again. Mach 4 is about playing when it feels right, for the fun of it, nothing to prove, playing classic era Voivod songs.

Mach 5, Piggy willing, will be with Jason banging out the songs they have never played live from Katorz and Infini as well as some gems from 2003’s Voivod record they did play on Ozzfests, an Ozzy tour and a Sepultura tour. Newsted the crazy metal loving hyper active bass monster played 4 hours a night during Ozzfest a fact that should be contemplated more, he was playing bass for Ozzy too and Ozzy was hell bent on playing the longest sets of his career, Jason raced from an intense Voivod set every night to get ready for the headline set with Ozzy, could you have done that? Only a man with his experience, super human strength and passion could have. Mach 5 could happen anytime and why not?

There are many projects at various levels of completion that will see the light of day, Michel’s artwork book is finally out, a Live in Japan DVD of Mach 4 is almost done, a documentary on Piggy and the band, the re-issues of Rrroooaarrrr, Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross, A DVD about the Eric Forrest (E Force) years when Voivod was a trio. Jason has recordings from his Chophouse studio of rehearsals as well as great tour footage. Along the way we will discover more lost recordings, footage and goodies from the vault.

Voivod is made up of a few dedicated people and has changed, been influenced by the additions and subtractions of the select musicians who have had the sheer joy of playing the songs written by bored stoned Quebec teenagers, who morphed into experienced young adults of Montreal to the men they are today. 3 decades of dedication to playing music from a perspective of love of all genres melding them into the sound they hear filtered through their life’s experiences, an angst that won’t die, a love that will never end for the killer riff that raises the pulse and sends the endorphins racing to the face making one smile and laugh for the sheer joy of creating something powerful from nothing.

Press: Review: Infini - 8 out of 10

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Although fans were well aware that there was another album’s worth of guitar tracks for the band to piece together as a follow-up, it took a great deal of time for Langevin, Belanger, and Newsted to end the grieving process and go full steam ahead once more, with Langevin openly admitting it wasn’t until Voivod’s triumphant Montreal performance in June of 2008 (with Martyr guitarist Dan Mongrain ably taking D’Amour’s place) that the creative spark was lit again. And you can hear the difference on the new record, Infini. The fact that Katorz succeeded in spite of the highly unusual circumstances surrounding the recording was in itself a big story, but with the band settling down and spending more time refining and enhancing the remaining songs the second time around, it makes Infini feel more fleshed-out, more fully-realized, and far less rushed than the previous album. - PopMatters

Press: Voivod releases a twelfth album

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Voivod are the reason I bought my ticket,” says Paul Salter. “They were originators, there's no other way to describe them. I'm glad they emerged again.” Dressed in a maple-leaf cap and faded Voivod T-shirt, Salter was one of 70,000 heavy-metal fans at the Download Festival in England last week – just one stop on the Quebec band's concert circuit this summer, and one more sign that Voivod hasn't stopped rocking since it lost its guitarist and primary songwriter Denis (Piggy) D'Amour to colon cancer in 2005. - The Globe and Mail

News: Voivod Release Date

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0800

News: Debut Of New Track Off Of ‘Infini’

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0800

VOIVOD have posted a third preview track, "Death Proof", off of their forthcoming album Infini. "Death Proof" can be heard online now via the band's newly redesigned MySpace page: MySpace.com/Voivod along with "Earthache" and "Global Warning". Infini will see its U.S. release on June 23rd via Relapse Records and is available for pre-order here.

Sirius / XM Satellite Radio's ‘Liquid Metal' is also currently spinning Infini album-opener "God Phones" as an exclusive first listen. Tune into Sirius channel 27, XM channel 42 to hear "God Phones" or request the song by clicking here.

VOIVOD have confirmed a number of European festival appearances in support of Infini including a performance at Download Festival tonight in the UK. Other festival performances include Hellfest in France, Gods Of Metal in Italy, Summer Breeze in Germany, Hole In The Sky in Norway and more. VOIVOD's touring lineup includes Denis "Snake" Bélanger (vocals), Michel "Away" Langevin (drums), Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault (bass) and MARTYR's Dan Mongrain (guitars). A listing of confirmed VOIVOD appearances can be found below with more details to be announced soon.

Updated VOIVOD news / album information will be made available via the Relapse Records website: www.Relapse.com, the VOIVOD website: www.Voivod.com and MySpace: www.MySpace.com/Voivod.

Press: Relapse Sets Release Date June 23

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0800

VOIVOD: New Album ‘Infini’ To See US Release via Relapse - Relapse Records

News: Infini Press release

Sun, 19 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0800

http://www.bravewords.com/news/111539