Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have almost completed work on a video for the title track of their Century Media debut album, Target Earth. The video, created by Italian filmmaker and multimedia artist, Nicola Piovesan, will recreate in 3D Motion Graphics the visions and artwork of VOIVOD drummer, Away (Michel Langevin).

To watch the teaser trailer for “Target Earth,” please click the link below.

  Read the rest of this entry »

VoiVod

Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have begun work on a video for the title track of their Century Media debut album, Target Earth. The video, created by Italian filmmaker and multimedia artist, Nicola Piovesan, will recreate in 3D Motion Graphics the visions and artwork of VOIVOD drummer, Away (Michel Langevin). You can check out stills from the work-in-progress video here:

Read the rest of this entry »

      

Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have now released their 13th studio album, Target Earth! To hear Target Earth in its entirety, please head over to Loudwire.com for the album stream. To purchase Target Earth, please visit iTunes for a digital copy or CM Distro for the album, plus a special bundle that includes the CD and an exclusive t-shirt.

Recorded at producer Pierre Rémillard’s Wild Studios in Quebec and mixed by Sanford Parker (PELICAN, NACHTMYSTIUM), Target Earth features artwork by drummer Away (Michel Langevin), who used color schemes from each one of the band’s previous albums to make this new masterpiece. The album brings back original bass player, Blacky (Jean Yves Thériault), marking his first recordings with the band since 1991′s Angel Rat. It’s also the first to feature guitarist Chewy (Daniel Mongrain), who cut his teeth playing guitar to the late Piggy’s (Denis D’Amour) riffs, and thus has matched his style to a tee. VOIVOD, as a full group, hadn’t sat down to write a record together since 2003′s self-titled album. The end result harkens back to the group’s late 80s output and after 30 years together as a band, one of their best yet.

VOIVOD lineup

Michel Langevin (Away) – drums
Denis Bélanger (Snake) – vocals
Jean-Yves Thériault (Blacky) – bass
Daniel Mongrain (Chewy) – guitar

VOIVOD online:

http://www.voivod.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.irongang.com
http://www.voivod.net
http://www.myspace.com/voivod
http://www.voivodfan.com

      

On January 21st in Europe and January 22nd in North America, Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD will release their 13th studio album, Target Earth! To hear the album in its entirety, please head over to Loudwire.com for the album stream:  http://loudwire.com/voivod-target-earth-exclusive-album-stream/

To pre-order Target Earth, please visit iTunes for a digital copy or CM Distro for the album, plus a special bundle that includes the CD and an exclusive t-shirt.

Recorded at producer Pierre Rémillard’s Wild Studios in Quebec and mixed by Sanford Parker (PELICAN, NACHTMYSTIUM), Target Earth features artwork by drummer Away (Michel Langevin), who used color schemes from each one of the band’s previous albums to make this new masterpiece. The album brings back original bass player, Blacky (Jean Yves Thériault), marking his first recordings with the band since 1991′s Angel Rat. It’s also the first to feature guitarist Chewy (Daniel Mongrain), who cut his teeth playing guitar to the late Piggy’s (Denis D’Amour) riffs, and thus has matched his style to a tee. VOIVOD, as a full group, hadn’t sat down to write a record together since 2003′s self-titled album. The end result harkens back to the group’s late 80s output and after 30 years together as a band, one of their best yet.

VOIVOD lineup

Michel Langevin (Away) – drums
Denis Bélanger (Snake) – vocals
Jean-Yves Thériault (Blacky) – bass
Daniel Mongrain (Chewy) – guitar

VOIVOD online:

http://www.voivod.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.irongang.com
http://www.voivod.net
http://www.myspace.com/voivod
http://www.voivodfan.com

VoiVod -  Interview with Michel “Away” Langevin

By Peter Atkinson

VoiVod

2013 is shaping up to be a landmark year for Canadian stalwarts Voivod. Not only will the band mark their 30th anniversary early in the new year, they will release their latest album, Target Earth, not long after that on Jan. 22. It will be their first studio album to feature “new” guitarist Dan “Chewy” Mongrain – also of Montreal tech metallers Martyr – and cement the return of prodigal “blower” bassist Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault, who left Voivod after 1991′s Angel Rat.

Both have been performing with the band since 2008, when Voivod were asked to play their first shows after the death of guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, who passed away following a brief battle with colon cancer in 2005. At the time, frontman Denis “Snake” Belanger and drummer Michel “Away” Langevin were unsure if the band would indeed carry on, but one thing led to another and five years later here they are. Along the way, Voivod issued Infini in 2009, with ex-Metallica bassist Jason “Jasonic” Newsted who helped relaunch the band in 2002, utilizing the last of the guitar parts Piggy had recorded prior to his death.

The last year or so has seen the pace pick up for Voivod, with the band curating the Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands – at which they played two sets, one of which featured a performance of the Dimension Hatross album in its entirety – a headline tour of Europe last fall and a series of dates opening for Neurosis in the states, all while working on material for Target Earth. With the new album imminent, and a wish-list that includes a lot more touring as well as writing for another album in the year ahead, Voivod are looking to make the most of the opportunities that are still coming their way.

On the phone from Montreal, Langevin spoke about Voivod’s long, somewhat checkered, career, their ability to bounce back from incredible adversity and the road ahead for one of metal’s weirdest, but most inventive bands.

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Interview and pics Arto Lehtinen

”VVVOOIIVOODDD”- is the immortal scream which opens the debut album WAR AND PAIN of the Canadian legends Voivod. Since those days a lot of water has passed under the bridge until now. Voivod is about to unleash their 13th full-length studio album called TARGET EARTH. The album will feature the current guitarist “Chewy” who has created the newer material for TARGET EARTH. Voivod recently visited Helsinki and vocalist Snake had a few minutes left for the short but informative interview.

This is your last show of the tour here in Helsinki, then going back to home – You have got  25 or 26 shows in a row?

Yeah 26 shows in 29 days. We left Barcelona a few days ago, then we have had  flight cancellations, no sleep at all, we had two cancellations of flights, lost luggage. This has been really stressful and no time to do anything, just doing it.

This is your third time here in Finland. 

Yeah.

DIMENSION HATROSS AT ROADBURN

I saw you at Roadburn Festival last spring, playing the DIMENSION HATROSS album as a whole. Did this idea come from the Roadburn organization asking you to do the whole DIMENSION album there?

No, what we did want to do, they wanted us to put out something different for the festival because we were the curator and we had two shows to do. We said to ourselves “well what were going to do because we wanted to do something special” and I think it’s an idea that came up, maybe from Walter or from Lars, but I don’t remember. We played a whole album and then yeah, why not you know? So we went and we practiced like crazy trying to remember the lyrics because it’s an album that was released 25 years ago. Some of the songs have never been played live.

Like “Macrosolution To The Mega Problem”?

That was played live when the album came out, but songs like “Cosmic Drama” and stuff like that, so it was, for us it was like rediscovering the album and it was great. It went fantastic.

How did you end up picking up the DIMENSION album, not NOTHINGFACE instead, as far as I remember NOTHINGFACE was basically the breakthrough album for Voivod in general? 

Well I think DIMENSION HATROSS was a thing on its own, because it was a concept album. I think it was perfect for the situation, for playing it from one song to another like you would listen to the album at home. So I think it was the real thing to do to pick up DIMENSION HATROSS as for a special feature.

MECHANICAL TARGET EARTH

When listening to new songs like the single “Mechanical Minds”, it takes me back to the heyday of the 80’s. In my opinion it has vibes of NOTHINGFACE and of DIMENSION HATROSS. Did you try to capture the old spirit when writing the new songs for the TARGET EARTH album? 

I think when Chewy was coming up with riffs and “Mechanical Minds” was something he recorded at home and when I heard it the first time I said wow, this is like going back, like what we were doing 28, 20-something years ago. And because Chewy a real Voivod fan in the beginning and he really captured what the most important features for this song and because he’s a fan he knows what the fan wants. That’s the way it happens and we never step back and say “oh it was the perfect thing to do” and get back to the roots, when the fans a long time ago was listening to DIMENSION HATROSS non-stop and trying to figure out what was going on and stuff like that.

Piggy was always the main composer and writer in Voivod and now Chewy is the guitarist of Voivod, so how was the writing process different for you?   

Yeah it’s a bit different because it’s not the same person, but actually it’s great for capturing the essence of Voivod and as you learn from. He was 13 years old when his first show was Voivod. The next day he bought a guitar and tried to learn Piggy’s stuff. So the way he put it together it was just like it would have been Piggy’s stuff, it was just like. It’s pretty amazing the way he put things together and the whole spirit of Piggy is on the album. He’s not copying the guy, he doesn’t try to imitate the stuff, but he knows how to make them fresh with the spirit of Piggy and that amazes me. I’m really proud of what he has done.

As far as I know the songs of the new album are completely new and they’re not leftover from the era of Piggy?

Completely new ones.

You completely recorded the album in your hometown. Was it obvious choice to record there and not going into elsewhere and record and work it there then? 

We did a pre-production in our home studio and stuff and then we went to a studio in the nature, like far out in the woods. You have to go there, the roads are inexistent. You have to go 4×4 to get there so it was during winter and we were there three weeks, focused on the album, just nothing else to do. Forsaken in the middle of nowhere in the woods so it was the perfect thing. You know the four of us, same place, cooking our own meal, relaxing and it was our perfect place to do because when you play, say you record in LA or New York or whatever there’s always distractions around. Sometimes you lose one member, two members, they go out and night and they visit stuff. So it’s more like you want them to be really focused on what we were doing.

Well did that happen when you recorded the self titled album with Jasonic?  

Yeah Jasonic, we recorded at this place, well we did a big pre-production at this place and then we were doing a record plan, it was in Frisco. But I was quite close to his place and we were returning every night but we didn’t have any distraction there too, that one we were just doing it. It was a serious thing.

Was it hard writing the INFINITE and KATORZ albums because Piggy had recorded all the material on his laptop, you tried to get them

Voivod

out and record them by putting the pieces together?

Yeah it was different process, because we couldn’t play it. It was what Piggy has left and we wanted the integrity of it, we wanted to keep it that way. Even if Katorz and Infini was basically demos. We kept the structure as it were. We didn’t want to fool around with it. But in the process of creation you’re kind of stuck in the box and you cannot move. So this time around with Chewy and we were free to do whatever we want and so it’s quite a big difference to have the opportunity to express yourself and not being confined and dealing with what’s already there is.

As Blacky has returned to the band in 2009/2010, and when you are out on tour supporting the Infini album when you played here in Finland I guess, I remember you didn’t play any songs from the Katorz or Infini album, even though you were promoting those albums. What are the reasons why, was it because Blacky had returned to the band and Jasonic was out?

No. While we were playing “Global War” I think but I don’t remember, because sometimes in festival, but sometimes when we play festivals we’ve got like 45 minutes and so we wanted to focus on stuff people know best, traditional “Tribal Conviction” and “Over Reaction” and like stuff like that. However, of course I struggle in the mind how these classic we cannot go out there and not play them. No, it has nothing to do with it I think.

Do you think that the writing of songs is getting a little bit challenging for you because you always have the pay attention to the legacy of Voivod? 

Well of course we try to do the best every night and we focus on what we do and as we get frustrated because we’re getting older every day, but I think when you do a big tour like that it gets better every day. Of course you’re tired from the traveling and all that, but as a performer things didn’t go easier in some ways. It becomes like a kind of a job, another job. It’s like a mixture of you have to do this.

VoiVod

THRASHING RAGE

You however enjoy being on the road.

Of course my favourite satisfaction is when I finish a show and everybody’s going crazy and okay we’re done but people enjoyed it.

Do you miss the old days when people were literally going crazy, doing stage diving the whole thing is more controlled by security and stuff like that. But back in the day when you played with Possessed, Deathrow, Vio-lence and stuff like that, the people were completely out of control.

That was back in the days when metal was like exploding everywhere and we were part of it and we were young kids going crazy as the crowd was going crazy. I remember when Possessed was finished; it was pure mass of people on stage. I mean we couldn’t play because there was like 20 people on stage dancing.

What happened in Bochum in Germany as Jeff Becerra from Possessed has also told stories about that gig ? 

Yeah we had to stop the show at one point and police came and it was pure hell. That was when metal was exploding everywhere, hahah

IRON GANG FACTORY

You are now on Century Media. The previous albums came out on Relapse and End Records and the self titled album came out the Chophouse. Do you usually make an one album deal with a record label or how come you switch labels every time?

Well it’s just a matter of the business. It’s different for everybody. It’s not like the old days where we had big contracts for 3, 4 albums. The record label doesn’t take any risk and the same for us. If we’re not pleased with a company, it’s not that were not pleased with what the other companies did, but the situation nowadays is really different than what it was. You don’t want to sign like long contract deals; you don’t want to put money and advents on anything. It’s almost they want a finished product and then release it. So it’s a matter of negotiation. I’m not dealing with the owning of negotiations, it’s more like the management thing. We see the offers from different companies, sometimes people are not interested you know. It’s just bizarre you know.

When you are on Noise Rec  in ’87/88 and things were a little bit different at that time. I did an interview with Andy Sneap who used to

VoiVod

play in Sabbat, he told that Sabbath got little bit ripped off by Noise. They would have needed someone to guide them as they were so young when making the deal with Noise. What about you? Did they treat you fairly or did you have the problems?

They were a few things that happened, but it was not a big deal because we signed a contract for three records. At the end of it we had an offer from MCA… And we switched to MCA. Of course Noise wanted us to stay with them and perhaps called Walter back; he flew to Montreal to try to convince us, make us change our mind. But we’re going to a major label and that’s how it happens but I don’t see, there was nothing wrong there.

Do you basically want to keep control over Voivod albums because you have this Iron Gang Factory, are you are making license deals with record labels for the TO THE DEATH and LIVE IN ROADBURN albums as they came out on Iron Gang Factory ?

Well of course we always try to negotiate with them about the opportunity to keep all the rights and If we do like a re-release or another pressing. We try to always have the option to do so. It was about the negotation. But with major deals it different. they want to keep their hand on the thing and it’s more complicated to do another pressing or a re-release. You need big lawyers and stuff.

Do you think it’s easier for you to work with record labels and their staff who are familiar with metal stuff because big corporations are not aware of metal and how they are supposed to treat metal bands?   

Well things have changed since 25 years ago I think. But record labels have changed their attitude towards bands. There seems to be really more open-minded, because for them the situation has changed to so they don’t have like the power they had back in the days. And so their more, they realize that if we work together to, if we work together efficiently it can create something better than just like having a control on people. That’s in the past, that’s over.

AWAY’S ART AND SNAKE’S PREVIOUS DEPARTURE

Away’s art is a trademark of Voivod, it’s quite unique, gives some kind of picture what Voivod is all about when you’re seeing the art or Voivod and Away’s art and works. How do you see that art concept with Voivod?

I think it goes together for me, my opinion, Michel’s art and Voivod’s music is almost like inseparable. It’s just like one goes with the other and I write lyrics when I get inspired by his drawing. Sometimes he draws something inspires my lyrics and it’s a work in process and we try to make it like one big picture. A musical picture and a visual picture as well. And it’s part of the Voivod world I guess.

Away had the art exhibition at Roadburn and there was a lot of people visiting there and there was a huge collection of his art  from the different decades. 

He had the gallery at the Roadburn festival. Plus we had the big screen back then showing stuff on the wall.

When OUTER LIMITS came out and you left the band. I was really surprised at why Snake left Voivod, and though” it’s not Voivod anymore cos his voice wasn’t there anymore”. Did you get disillusioned about Voivod because you toured with Faith No More and Soundgarden and they got really huge and Voivod had more the cult following – Did you get tired as things led nowhere or why did you quit the band?

Back then the grunge thing really hurt all metal bands; even Metallica cut their hair off. It was any good years for metal. But I had my personal problems as well and  something else in life, it was rough. It all started, when I was 18 years old,  and every experienced back then. I needed the fresh air somehow and experience other things. And it’s good sometimes to get out of the bus. It was a tough decision. It was not easy but at the time I thought it was the best decision and a few years later I regret it. I wanted to come back because I realized I was a real artist, because music was part of my life and I missed it so much and so I started a few bands that never got anywhere but just to make music. And I realized that music was part of me. I need it like eating, it was necessary to my life and when the opportunity came to me to rejoin the band I said yes.

That was easy.

Yeah.

Alright. Thanks for the interview.

Thank you!

The official VOIVOD sites :

www.voivod.com

http://www.myspace.com/voivod

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.voivod.net/

 VOIVOD IN HELSINKI ON THE 31st OF OCTOBER

MICHEL AWAY LANGEVIN’S ART GALLERY AT THE ROADBURN FESTIVAL

 And the master himself with his art

Voivod @ The Relentless Garage

7th October 2012

Having not been to the newly refurbished Garage at Highbury and Islington, I was pleasantly surprised when entering the venue to find the dark and dingy venue that holds so many fond memories, transformed into a classy medium sized room with a slick looking interior!

No sooner than taking in the sights, the lights went down ready for tonight’s bands!
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Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have premiered the artwork for their 13th studio album, Target Earth, on the band’s official Facebook page.

The original art was once again drawn by drummer Away (Michel Langevin) and features color schemes from each one of the band’s’ previous albums.

Due out January 21st in Europe and January 22nd in North America, Target Earth was recorded at producer Pierre Rémillard’s Wild Studios in Quebec and mixed by Sanford Parker (PELICAN, NACHTMYSTIUM). The album will be available as a CD, gatefold double vinyl and a limited edition deluxe box set (details on that to be announced soon).

The album brings back original bass player, Blacky (Jean Yves Thériault), marking his first recordings with the band since 1991′s Angel Rat. It’s also the first to feature guitarist, Chewy (Dan Mongrain), who cut his teeth playing guitar to the late Denis D’Amour’s riffs and thus has matched his style to a tee. VOIVOD, as a full group, hadn’t sat down to write a record together since 2003′s self-titled album. The end result harkens back to the group’s late 80s output and after 30 years together as a band, one of their best yet.

The official track-listing for Target Earth can be seen below.

1. Target Earth
2. Kluskap O’Kom
3. Empathy for the Enemy
4. Mechanical Mind
5. Warchaic
6. Resistance
7. Kaleidos
8. Corps Étranger
9. Artefact
10. Defiance

To hear the album’s first single, “Mechanical Mind,” please click here.

VOIVOD live 2012
10/26–La Riviera–Madrid, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/27–Razzmatazz 2–Barcelona, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/30–MILK Club–Moscow, Russia
10/31–Nosturi–Helsinki, Finland

11/17–Fox Theater–Oakland, CA **with NEUROSIS, YOB**

VOIVOD online:

http://www.voivod.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.irongang.com
http://www.voivod.net
http://www.myspace.com/voivod
http://www.voivodfan.com

Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have released the first single from their upcoming 13th studio album, Target Earth (due out January 21st in Europe and January 22nd in North America), today. “Mechanical Mind” is now available on all digital platforms; to download the track on iTunes, please click here. The “Mechanical Mind” 7″ vinyl will be available exclusively at CM Distro soon (with the VOIVOD skull etching by the band’s own drummer Away as the “b-side”). The 7″ will be available in the following colors and quantities:

300 black

100 red

100 blue

To hear “Mechanical Mind,” please head over to Pitchfork.com for the track stream.

VOIVOD has also announced their only US appearance this year: on November 17th, the band will support NEUROSIS in Oakland, CA at the Fox Theater. For more event information, please click here.

To get the latest VOIVOD updates, be sure to download the band’s new free app for mobile smart phones here:

iPhone: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/voivod/id543666457?mt=8

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobilecartel.voivod&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5tb2JpbGVjYXJ0ZWwudm9pdm9kIl0.

Blackberry: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/130055/?lang=en

Stay tuned for more news about Target Earth and VOIVOD coming soon!

VOIVOD live 2012

10/11–Loppen–Copenhagen, Denmark **with UNKIND**
10/12–Betong–Oslo, Norway **with UNKIND**
10/13–Brew House–Gothenburg, Sweden **with UNKIND**
10/14–Hafenklang–Hamburg, Germany **with UNKIND**
10/16–Cassiopeia–Berlin, Germany **with UNKIND**
10/17–Progresja–Warsaw, Poland **with UNKIND**
10/18–HooDoo Club–Prague, Czech Republic **with UNKIND**
10/19–Dürer Kert–Budapest, Hungary **with UNKIND**
10/20–Bloom Club–Mezzago (Milan), Italy **with UNKIND**
10/21–Bad Bonn–Düdingen, Switzerland
10/22–Le Korigan–Luynes, France
10/23–Totem–Pamplona, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/24–Cine Teatro–Corroios, Portugal
10/25–Capitol–Santiago de Compostela, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/26–La Riviera–Madrid, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/27–Razzmatazz 2–Barcelona, Spain **with ARCH ENEMY**
10/30–MILK Club–Moscow, Russia
10/31–Nosturi–Helsinki, Finland

11/17–Fox Theater–Oakland, CA **with NEUROSIS, YOB**

VOIVOD online:

http://www.voivod.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.irongang.com
http://www.voivod.net
http://www.myspace.com/voivod
http://www.voivodfan.com

VoiVod

A short preview of “Mechanical Mind”, a brand new song from Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD, is available in the YouTube clip below. The track will be released on October 9 (one day earlier internationally) as a digital single and a limited-edition seven-inch single-sided vinyl with a skull etching by VOIVOD drummer Michel “Away” Langevin on the B-side.

“Mechanical Mind” comes off VOIVOD’s new album, “Target Earth”, which will be released on January 22, 2013 (one day earlier internationally) via VOIVOD’s own company, Iron Gang Factory, and Century Media.

Commented VOIVOD: “Our goal has been to find a partner for Iron Gang Factory to help get new VOIVOD music to the world and Century Media, we are proud to say, is the right company to do so globally. We can’t wait to release tour and promote ‘Target Earth’.”

“Target Earth” was recorded in January at Pierre Rémillard’s (OBLIVEON, CRYPTOPSY, KRISIUN, MISERY INDEX) Wild Studio in a small town called St-Zénon in Quebec, Canada. The follow-up to 2009′s “Infini” will contain the band’s first music to be written with new guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain (MARTYR) following the passing of original axeman Denis “Piggy” D’Amour in 2005.

VOIVOD drummer Michel “Away” Langevin recently unveiled the band’s new logo which will be used on the upcoming CD.

Several photos from the recording sessions can be found on the band’s Facebook page.

According to a posting on the page, fans can “expect something in the vein of ‘Nothingface’ with some elements from the other albums. It will be a classic VOIVOD album.”

Regarding what the new VOIVOD songs sound like, Mongrain said in a recent interview, “As a VOIVOD fan since I am 12 years old and early rise of VOIVOD in late ’80s and everything, I think… I’m in conflict of interest right now. [Laughs] I like the old stuff as much as the new stuff, so I think it’s a blend of everything. It’s really a team work and Blacky [Jean-Yves Thériault] is back on the ‘blower bass’ — he’s got the original sound — and we’re having a blast jamming, improvising and writing. I think it’s working pretty good.”

On the topic of the lyrical themes covered in the new VOIVOD tracks, singer Denis “Snake” Bélanger said, “The song we played [on the recent European tour] ['Kaleidos'] is about conspiracy involving drugs and the FBI… [Laughs] It’s hard to describe because we’re kind of early in the process. There’s another song called ‘Target Earth’, which is more like a spacy, conspiracy, controlling the information around the world. The main thing is the ‘war’ of information. You know, somebody Osama Bin Laden is dead, someone [else] says he’s not… It gets to a point where everybody has his own story and nobody is sure what the truth is. There’s people above everything controlling the information.”

In an interview with Exclaim.ca, Away stated about VOIVOD’s forthcoming studio album, “It’s more in the progressive metal vein, so it’s reminiscent of the ‘Dimension Hatröss’ era.”

VOIVOD debuted the “Target Earth” title track during their April 12 concert at the Roadburn festival at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

VOIVOD will embark on a European headlining tour in October. They will also play several shows in Spain as the support act for ARCH ENEMY.

Fan-filmed video footage of VOIVOD performing the title track of their forthcoming album, “Target Earth”, on June 29 at Zone Portuaire de Chicoutimi in Chicoutimi, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

VOIVOD 2012 is:

Denis “Snake” Bélanger – Vocals

Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain – Guitar

Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault – Bass

Michel “Away” Langevin – Drums

“Mechanical Mind” preview:

Century Media Records is proud to announce the worldwide signing of Quebecois progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD! To coincide with the band’s 30th Anniversary – the band was founded in late January, 1983 – VOIVOD’s own company, Iron Gang Factory, joins with global powerhouse Century Media Records to release Target Earth on January 21st throughout Europe and the 22nd in North America. Comments, the band:

“Our goal has been to find a partner for Iron Gang Factory to help get new VOIVOD music to the world and Century Media, we are proud to say, is the right company to do so globally  We can’t wait to release, tour, and promote ‘Target Earth.’”

VOIVOD’s career path has endured as many shifts and disturbances as the music itself. From major label deals and big-time tours to slogging it out in clubs while metal went through growing pains in the mid 1990s; from high profile bass players to unknown substitutes, the Quebecois prog metal pioneers have persevered through thick and thin to arrive at a comfortable place in 2012 — a place of rebirth, rejuvenation and respect.

VOIVOD’s 30th anniversary celebrates their career as one of metal’s most influential bands. The handful of live albums, reissues and DVDs that began to surface in the past ten years proved how beloved this band really is, and now comes another album of inspired fresh material that proves VOIVOD still have many new paths to travel. What band continues to redefine and reinvent themselves 13 studio albums and 30 years into their career? There is only one answer to that question: VOIVOD.

Discography

War and Pain, 1984

Rrrööaaarrr, 1986

Killing Technology, 1987

Dimension Hatröss, 1988

Nothingface, 1989

Angel Rat, 1991

The Best of Voivod (compilation), 1992

The Outer Limits, 1993

Negatron, 1995

Phobos, 1997

Kronik (compilation), 1998

Voivod Lives (live album), 2000

Voivod, 2003

D-V-O-D-1 DVD, 2005

Katorz, 2006

Infini, 2009

Tatsumaki: Voivod in Japan 2008 DVD, 2009

Warriors of Ice (live album), 2011

To the Death ’84 2012

Target Earth, 2013

VOIVOD online:

http://www.voivod.com/

http://www.facebook.com/Voivod

http://www.irongang.com
http://www.voivod.net
http://www.myspace.com/voivod
http://www.voivodfan.com

Full Metal Jackie Launches Special Guitar Giveaway

Today the coordinators of SHOCKWAVE FESTIVAL TOUR 2012 announce four new dates in the inaugural North American takeover : Calgary, Amityville, Columbus, and Joliet. See updated itinerary below.

Established to give metal fans a lower cost festival option this season, SHOCKWAVE FESTIVAL TOUR 2012 stands among one of the most diversified metal tour packages of the Summer! The trek will commence on July 6 in Seattle, Washington, and feature an assorted lineup of artists including futuristic metal conjurers FEAR FACTORY and sci-fi thrash legends VOIVOD as well as CATTLE DECAPITATION, MISERY INDEX, REVOCATION, HAVOK, DIRGE WITHIN, LAST CHANCE TO REASON, VILDHJARTA, THE BROWNING and FORGED IN FLAME. Presented by Full Metal Jackie with further sponsorships by EVH, DDrums, Intune Guitar Pics, Indie Merch, Earsplit PR, Skateboard Marketing, Burning Angel, Yetibite, The PRP, Rockin Wellness, Dirtycheese Design & Development and Blank TV, the caravan of chaos will run through August. Tickets are on sale NOW at THIS LOCATION.

To celebrate the tour, Full Metal Jackie Radio will be hosting a special contest. The Grand Prize Winner will receive an Ibanez GRG Electric Black Knight Guitar and a Festival T-shirt. Runner ups will receive: A CD prize pack which will include CATTLE DECAPITATION’s Monolith Of Inhumanity, DIRGE WITHIN’s There Will Be Blood, HAVOK’s Time Is Up, THE BROWNING’s Burn This World and VILDHJARTA’s Måsstaden. Enter HERE. And don’t forget to check out the official tour trailer HERE.

Full Metal Jackie Presents: SHOCKWAVE FESTIVAL TOUR 2012
Fear Factory, Voivod, Cattle Decapitation, Misery Index, Revocation, Havok, Dirge Within, Last Chance To Reason, Vildhjarta, The Browning and Forged In Flame
7/06/2012 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA [TICKETS]
7/07/2012 Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC [TICKETS]
7/09/2012 The Republik – Calgary, AB [TICKETS] ***
7/11/2012 Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB [TICKETS]
7/12/2012 Station 4 – St Paul, MN [TICKETS]
7/13/2012 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI [TICKETS]
7/14/2012 Kool House – Toronto, ON [TICKETS]
7/15/2012 The Armouries – Windsor, ON [TICKETS]
7/17/2012 Imperial Theater – Quebec City, QC [TICKETS]
7/18/2012 Le National – Montreal, QC [TICKETS]
7/20/2012 Northern Lights – Clifton, NY [TICKETS]
7/21/2012 Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY [TICKETS]
7/22/2012 Reverb – Reading, PA [TICKETS]
7/24/2012 Revolution – Amityville, NY [TICKETS] ***
7/25/2012 Palladium – Worcester, MA [TICKETS]
7/26/2012 Empire – West Springfield, VA [TICKETS]

7/27/2012 Alrosa Villa – Columbus, OH [TICKETS] ***

7/28/2012 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL [TICKETS] ***
7/29/2012 Tebala Shrine – Rockford, IL [TICKETS]
8/02/2012 Nakai Hall – Window Rock, AZ [TICKETS]
8/03/2012 The Marqee Theater – Tempe, AZ [TICKETS]
8/04/2012 House Of Blues – Hollywood, CA [TICKETS]
*** – New Date Added

http://www.shockwavefest.com

http://www.facebook.com/shockwavefest

http://www.fearfactory.com

http://www.voivod.com

http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation

http://www.facebook.com/MiseryIndex

http://www.facebook.com/Revocation

http://havokband.com

http://www.facebook.com/DirgeWithinOfficial

http://www.facebook.com/lastchancetoreason

http://www.facebook.com/vildhjartaofficial

http://www.facebook.com/TheBrowningOfficial

http://www.facebook.com/Forged.In.Flame

VOIVOD has been confirmed for Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo which will run from June 6 to 23. The festival – celebrating its 12th year – presents Liberation music to audiences in Montréal, Québec, according to a press release.

“Liberation music is inspired by freedom of expression, improvisation, and sonic exploration and appeals to music aficionados world wide. Liberation music is comprised of an eclectic collection of genres which includes but is not limited to free jazz, noise, electronica, turntable art, soundscapes, experimental rock, electronica, musique actuelle and spoken word. Given the context in which much of this music is made and the reaction it provokes, it is also music that resonates with progressive social movements. The festival presents both established musicians who bring a wealth of tradition, experience and history to their playing as well as younger, emerging artists.”

For more details visit Casadelpopolo.com.

VOIVOD drummer Michel “Away” Langevin has checked in with a new video called Optical Vortex – Episode One. During the clip he says that the band are continuing writing new material and are expected to record in January, with hopes to release a new album in the summer of 2012 before they hit the road again. Away also talks about the upcoming release of their original demo tape from 1984 titled To The Death 84 and the 17th edition of the Roadburn Festival, where Voivod will transport you into Dimension Hatröss as part of their special headline show during the Au-delà du Réel event on Friday, April 13, 2012 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland.

VOIVOD - To The Death 84 Demo

To The Death 84, the album was recorded in the band’s Quebec jam space in January of 1984. The lineup for this record includes Snake (Denis Bélanger) on vocals, Piggy (Denis D’Amour) on guitar, Blacky (Jean-Yves Thériault) on bass and Away (Michel Langevin) on drums.

Aside from material that would later appear on the band’s War and Pain debut, this collection includes several other early Voivod offerings, as well as covers of MERCYFUL FATE and VENOM.

To the Death 1984 will be released on November 22nd as a CD or double LP via Alternative Tentacles.

The tracklisting is as follows:

‘Voivod’

‘Condemned To The Gallows’

‘Hell Driver’

‘Live For Violence’

‘War And Pain’

‘Incantation’

‘Buried Alive’ / ‘Suck Your Bone’

‘Blower’

‘Slaughter In A Grave’

‘Nuclear War’

‘Black City’

‘Iron Gang’

‘Evil’

‘Bursting Out’

‘Warriors Of Ice’

VOIVOD - To The Death 84 Demo

Back in September, VOIVOD revealed plans to release their original demo tape from 1984. Titled To The Death 84, the album was recorded in the band’s Quebec jam space in January of 1984. The lineup for this record includes Snake (Denis Bélanger) on vocals, Piggy (Denis D’Amour) on guitar, Blacky (Jean-Yves Thériault) on bass and Away (Michel Langevin) on drums.

Aside from material that would later appear on the band’s War and Pain debut, this collection includes several other early Voivod offerings, as well as covers of MERCYFUL FATE and VENOM.

To the Death 1984 will be released on November 22nd as a CD or double LP via Alternative Tentacles.

The tracklisting is as follows:

‘Voivod’

‘Condemned To The Gallows’

‘Hell Driver’

‘Live For Violence’

‘War And Pain’

‘Incantation’

‘Buried Alive’ / ‘Suck Your Bone’

‘Blower’

‘Slaughter In A Grave’

‘Nuclear War’

‘Black City’

‘Iron Gang’

‘Evil’

‘Bursting Out’

‘Warriors Of Ice’

VOIVOD – Iron Gang (from To The Death 84) by AlternativeTentacles