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The tests of time
Michel “Away” Langevin of Quebec metal heroes Voivod reflects on a quarter-century of tragedy and triumphs
STANDING UP AGAIN: Langevin (R) and Voivod
by JOHNSON CUMMINS
“The story of Voivod is really an amazing one,” says illustrator and Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin. An amazing story, to say the least, but as in any amazing story worth telling, Voivod have met each triumph with an equal amount of tragedy.
This story starts off in the bleak, isolated town of Jonquière, Quebec in the early ’80s. Four likeminded teens were drawn together over their mutual admiration of prog rock, krautrock, punk and a new style of heavy metal known as the British new wave. “We were lucky enough that there was a guy in Jonquière who would really seek out these bands, as well as hardcore bands like Broken Bones and Discharge,” says Langevin, “but because of our progressive rock background, we always sounded a bit different from the rest of the bands happening in metal at the time.”
Voivod made the move to Montreal during thrash metal’s heyday in 1985, and before long were touring on the strength of their first two albums, War and Pain and the aptly titled Rrroooaaarrr! It was 1987, though, when the band really came into their own with the highly influential Killing Technology. “We were recording in Berlin and listening to a lot of industrial stuff like Foetus and Einsturzende Neubauten. As well, we now had access to all this technology and that really opened a lot of doors for us musically.”
Metal, more and less
While they already had the respect of the underground, nothing could prepare Voivod for the jolt that 1989’s Nothingface would give their career. Their progressive and psychedelic sides had moved to the fore while their harnessing of technology proved to be unstoppable. It was at this summit of their career, though, that problems entered the picture.
Their label, eager to cash in on their success, urged the band to shy away from their metal roots, and the subsequent record, Angel Rat, was a disappointment to both fans and critics. For the first time, Voivod seemed unsure of their footing.
The original line-up splintered when bassist Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault, perhaps foreseeing impending doom, left the band before the record’s release. Shortly after, in 1994, singer Denis “Snake” Bélanger left for personal reasons. The band became a three-piece, with bassist/singer Eric “E Force” Forrest joining Langevin and Denis “Piggy” D’Amour, and went back to its metal roots. But at that point, metal was in a slump and the Seattle grunge sound was changing the landscape of heavy music. “There were a lot of bands trying to pretend they weren’t metal because it was no longer cool to call yourself a metal band. Those were some tough years, but we just did what came naturally to us.”
Not long after, while the band was on tour in Germany in 1998, their van spun out of control and flipped, leaving Forrest seriously injured and in a coma for months. Still, Voivod soldiered on. “You can’t stop what you’re doing because of obstacles,” says Langevin. “For me, it’s always been about, when you fall, you just stand up again.”
Life after Piggy
With bands like Sepultura, Fear Factory, Neurosis and Foo Fighters naming Voivod as one of their main inspirations, a newfound respect had attached itself to the band, and with former Metallica bassist Jason “Jasonic” Newsted entering the fold, it seemed Voivod’s day had finally arrived. Unfortunately, they would be stopped in their tracks again when, during a routine check-up, doctors found cancer in D’Amour that had advanced past the point of being operable. This incredibly gifted musician and humble man passed away on August 26, 2005. Before his death, D’Amour recorded guitar tracks on his laptop, leaving strict instructions for how the songs were to be recorded. The outcome was Voivod’s 14th record, Katorz.
“We’ve been mourning for the past two years and I just thought people would forget about Voivod after awhile, but the fans really want us to get back on the road to promote Piggy’s music, and we now feel we’re ready to do it.”
D’Amour left an additional 13 tracks for the band to work on, and plans are already underway for the next record, with Bélanger on vocals again and all three Voivod bass players contributing. Not only that, but the members are finally finished mourning and will start playing shows for the first time in years, with Martyr’s Dan Mongrain as replacement guitarist and original bassist Thériault returning after a 17-year absence.
“There was frustration at times but I was always proud that a bunch of bleuets from northern Quebec was able to make an impact on the world. I remember when we were recording The Outer Limits in L.A. and sitting in the pool at the Universal Hotel with Snake, and wondering how the hell we got there from a small town in Quebec. I’ll always remember that.”
posted June 20, 2008 09:21
