Voivod (band)
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Jonquière, Québec, Canada | |
| Genre(s) | Thrash Metal Progressive Metal |
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| Years active | 1982 - 2001 2002 - Present |
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| Label(s) | Metal Blade (1984) Noise Records (1986-1988) MCA Records (1989 - 1993) Mausoleum (1995) Hypnotic Records (1997 - 1998) Chophouse Records (2003) The End Records (2005 - Present) |
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| Website | Official Voivod Website | |
Voivod is a Canadian speed metal (early), thrash metal (middle) and then progressive metal band formed in 1982, and reportedly the first to describe themselves as cyberpunk. They are originally from Jonquière, in the Saguenay region of Quebec.
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[edit] Profile
Influenced equally by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and the Reagan-era Cold War, their early, post-apocalyptic music would later evolve into outright science fiction. . Voivod reached the peak of their popularity with the 1989 release Nothingface which featured a cover version of Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine" (from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn). They would later cover another Pink Floyd song, "The Nile Song" (from More), on their 1993 release The Outer Limits.
Two of the four founding members (bassist Jean-Yves Thériault and vocalist Denis Bélanger) left Voivod in the early 1990s. The band recorded three albums as a trio in the late 1990s with new member Eric Forrest 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. 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 August 26, 2005 due to complications from colon cancer. Their most recent record is Katorz, released 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.
According to Blabbermouth.net, Langevin has confirmed that Voivod are planning to work on their fifteenth studio album in winter 2007. This will mark the first album recorded without D'Amour.
The song "X-Stream" is featured in the PlayStation 2 game, Guitar Hero II.
[edit] Discography
| Snake Era |
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| Eric Forrest Era |
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| Jasonic and Neo Snake Era |
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- War & Pain 1984 (Metal Blade Records)
- Rrröööaaarrr 1986 (Noise Records)
- Killing Technology 1987 (Noise Records)
- Dimension Hatröss 1988 (Noise Records)
- Nothingface 1989 (Mechanic / MCA Records)
- Angel Rat 1991 (Mechanic / MCA Records)
- The Outer Limits 1993 (Mechanic / MCA Records)
- Negatron 1995 (Hypnotic Records)
- Phobos 1998 (Slipdisc Hypnotic Records)
- Kronik (EP) 1998 (Slipdisc Hypnotic Records)
- Voivod Lives (live) 2000 (Metal Blade Records)
- Voivod 2003 (Chophouse Records / Surfdog Records)
- Katorz 2006 (Nuclear Blast Records / The End Records)
