I just published 2 interviews on my website http://www.vs-webzine.com/new.php?page=news_comment-single&id_news=30253

Voivod returns to the European scene for an assortment of festivals with a particular line-up.

With Piggy no longer there, the line-up of the Quebec group is made up of Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault, the historic bassist of the group who has returned after 17 years ... the perfect occasion for me to speak with him again ... 10 years after our first interview.

1 It seems that since our previous interview in 1999, you have always closely followed the lives and the news of the group. Did you miss Voivod a lot since your departure in the beginning of the 90's?

Certainly, when you are in a group for 9 years and one day you decide to leave ... at the beginning the ties had all been cut, and out of respect for the other members I decided not to keep much contact, but I followed them from afar.

I think that doing music in front of a big crowd last summer gave me the taste for playing again.

2 The first and only time where the 4 original members of the group had been reunited was June 5, 2002 where you rejoined Snake, Away and Piggy for an autograph session in Montreal which celebrated 20 years of Metal in Quebec. What do you remember about that reunion?

It was Maurice Richard who organized the session. It was fun, I think in the end it was a pleasant surprise, because Maurice had not warned the other members of Voivod. I did it more for Maurice than for myself, even if I was happy to see my compatriots from the good old days.

3 A few months later, you found yourself on stage for a show with BLACK CLOUD (November 8, 2002 at the Medley in Montreal) with a certain Dan Mongrain at your side in a Quebec All-Star band reviving the thrash classics such as "Tribal Convictions" and "Nuclear War." What did that concert mean to you? Did you want to create a new group after that concert?

Actually, I think that since the autograph session, Maurice really wanted to do another Voivod show, but that never happened…so we decided to do BLACK CLOUD, to celebrate the 20 years anniversary, we decided to create a band of accomplished musicians who had been directly influenced by that time in metal.
But no, I didn't want to do a band in any real sense. Just a short-term project.

4 In August, 2005, Denis "Piggy" D’Amour died. I know you had the opportunity to see him a few days before his death.
Strong ties held you two together during the 80's and you had lost sight of that. Can you say that you miss Piggy today?

In fact I saw him one day before he died, I was in a state of shock. I had had no direct contact with the band, and one day on Voivod.net there was a post that had been removed that said there was some very bad news... I already knew for a few weeks that Piggy had not been well, but like everyone I believed he would pull through. So I called him directly, and his mother answered the telephone, I imagine she had already been at his place for a few days and not in Jonquiere where she lives, a few minutes later I called Michel and we met at the hospital where he died about 36 hours later. It was very sad, one of the most difficult things I have experienced. He was like my brother during the years I was part of the group. For sure, I will always have a place for him in me.

5 What are the things that you learned at his side during the years when you were a part of Voivod?

Everything that is concerned with musical technique, in fact. At the start, he was the person who knew how to bring out my hidden musical talents, he was a very perceptive person who knew what he wanted, he gave me very good advice, I was a keen student with him, and also I must say that in the beginning we were very close.

He was my best friend, later during the "Killing Technology" era, one of our friends from that time said that we were like a two-headed monster. I think he was making reference to the times when we were in composition mode, we were an inseparable duality. And I believe that during this period of Voivod was when we started to do our best work.

6 You continued the homage to Piggy, joining ALCOHOLICA (group of Pierre St-Jean, ex-session bassist for Voivod) with Dan Mongrain on stage in September 2005 for "Tribal Convictions" and joined MARTYR for "Brain Scan" a few months later.
What did you feel when you saw the impact Voivod had had on the Quebec Scene and groups like Martyr and many others?

Certainly I was personally very proud of what we had accomplished; even today I am proud of that. How could I malign that.
Also we have to see things the way they are, we were part of a musical movement, so we contributed as the other metal bands of our time did. It's certain that we made a more profound mark in Quebec, but it's all relative.

When someone like Dan tells me that at 12 years old he started to play the guitar and to play Voivod riffs, it's certain that our influence was important in the metal scene. But I think that often there are a lot of things in life that arrive by accident, for me Voivod was one of them.

7 Each time you performed Voivod songs during the 2000’s, you were accompanied by Dan Mongrain. How did you meet him? Can you tell us more about that?

Maurice put me in contact with Dan, in the beginning after one or two espresso it was in the bag (laughs). It was really the first time he came over to my place I had made him one of my Super Blacky coffees, believe me, that helps if you have to deal with me. No, but I thought that after our first meeting, and brainstorming session, we both knew we would have a strong friendship.

The guy is just a fun person, and right away we started to work on the songs we wanted Black Cloud to play. I was really hooked by his incredible talent, he had learned from Piggy, come on man, he's a musical genius that guy and plus, he has a personality that is very cool, he's an intelligent guy.

Technically he's accomplished, an impeccable soloist and even more than that, he knows how to read and write sheet music, that's something that no one from my era knows how to do, even less in the metal scene. I believe that is one of the tools that is the most important today, I would have really liked to know how to do that.

I think that we will work together for a long time. From a personal point of view, he has a girlfriend, so girls, he is taken. His ultimate secret is his long mane of hair; it's where he gets his musical power!

8 June 22, 2008, you returned to the stage with Voivod for Heavy MTL with Dan, Snake and Away. Who was behind the reunion, how did it come about?

Michel contacted me one day and asked me if I would be interested to play with him and Denis, playing material from the first six Voivod records, and he also suggested Dan would be the guitarist.

I said yes right away without a moment’s hesitation. We managed to recreate something close to what we experienced during that time even if Piggy is no longer with us.

For Dan also, I think it was essential and a prerequisite that we revive the mood of Piggy's guitar. I know it took a lot of courage for Denis and Michel to play the music of Voivod without Piggy at their sides.

The essential in all of that was to have the pleasure of playing the good old songs. So our mission was accomplished for sure. We were all very satisfied.

9 What was your experience of returning and were you been received by the many fans of the group who never forgot you?

It was like I had been in hibernation for more than 17 years and suddenly I woke up, I was still active, perhaps not all the time as a musician but also as a sound technician, live and in studio.

I think that largely people were surprised to learn that I played live with Voivod again. Personally, I was happy and I think that others were too.

10 You are going to Europe to do a festival tour and you will be in front of enormous crowds. Are you excited by this next undertaking?

Yep, all four of us are super excited by this tour, there are many countries where I’ve never been. And I’m going to give 100%, that’s for sure. We’re going to play old material once again but also a few songs from the new record.

11 Thank you for your time and I leave you with the final word...

Ok, as is the tradition, I only have a few words to add... TO THE DEATH!!! We’ll see you soon.

Oooooh i cannot wait any longaaaaahhhh.... Today I drove my car back from work, I put War and Pain on (the remaster). Next time i know i drove through thunder and lightening and massive shower! I was happy!

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It's Martyr's guitarist, Dan Mongrain, who has the heavy task of succeeding Denis "Piggy" D'Amour . . . one could not imagine a better successor for Voivod as Dan is passionate and respectful of the careers of his elders.

1 Getting to the heart of the matter, can you tell me how you got the position of guitarist for VOIVOD? It seems to me that the show "Pantheon of Quebec Metal," contributed?

Essentially, but it was a chain of events.

First, I have always been a crazy Voivod fan, even before I was playing the
guitar, I listened to them. I bought "Killing Technology" and my brother bought "Dimension Hatross."

We were tripping out because it was the most unique sounding group. Voivod is probably the band I have listened to the most in my life. My first metal show was Voivod. One day in 2002 I met Jean-Yves Theriault (Blacky) in order to create a group called Black Cloud which was for a show being organized by Maurice "Rocker" Richard celebrating 20 years of metal. We played 2 Voivod songs.

Then I had it in my mind to cover Voivod for the album Martyr wanted to do ("Feeding the Abscess"). And in the meantime, by 2004-2005, Piggy was not well. We had already made the decision to record the song and invited Blacky to do the bass track. We didn't know that Piggy wasn't well, at this point, since at that time there were only rumours. Martyr was playing a show in Winnipeg, I think, or Toronto, and I was on stage talking about sending Piggy positive thoughts, everyone yelled, the band and the crowd, for Piggy. . . It was the next day I learned that he had left us, close to that time. It scared the shit out of me.

Then we released the album, I had already asked Voivod's permission to do the cover and I gave them a copy of the CD. They liked it.

Thereafter, a show celebrating 25 years of metal, organized by Maurice Richard, had a mandate to do a tribute to Piggy and Voivod, with a group composed of Blacky, Peter Jackson (ex-Barf), Martin Frechette and myself. We did a Voivod medley, 10-12 minutes long, which was comprised of 5-6 songs. Away and Snake and Piggy’s family were all there. It was a beautiful evening.

Later, I wrote Away an email, telling him that if they thought of doing something for a special event with Voviod or anything, it would be an honor for me to play just one note with them, I knew the repertoire very well and that I had admired Voivod and Piggy for a long time.

Some time passed and Michel contacted me about reforming Voivod with Blacky for some shows at festivals like Heavy MTL, the Bell Centre with Judas Priest, the Monster of Rock in Calgary with Ozzy ... and finally Japan with Testament and Forbidden. In short, an insane trip!

This summer there are 15 days in Europe at the big Metal Fests. I play Voivod with the guys from Voivod. I'm playing Piggy’s music, in short, it’s a really beautiful "trip."

2 Did you have any particular apprehension or hesitation before agreeing to join VOIVOD? What were your feelings about replacing Piggy?

I was just very excited, but I did my homework, I wanted the guys to feel comfortable musically and personally with that.

It's a very special situation because obviously Piggy will always be there, and I have to play in his place. But life is what it is, and it is also death. I am honored and I try to do this with humility and respect for the music and for the fans and relatives of Piggy.

3 You said in an interview for VS 2007:
"Piggy has always been my favorite metal guitarist. The very first concert I saw Voivod was like the first album I bought."
What is your feeling now that you are part of the history of Voivod, allowing the group to continue to live and to perform on stage?

It's a bit of a paradox, as I said. I am very happy to live this but at the same time Piggy was my idol, from one point of view it's sad, and from another I am hopeful.

I am happy to spread his music again and I will do as the guys want, and I feel good about that, there are truly beautiful moments of magic in that life.

4 You joined Voivod with Jean-Yves Thériault with whom you had already played at the "Pantheon of Metal." How did it go, you joining Voivod and the return of Blacky?

Really good, Snake and Away totally put us at ease, after a song or two we felt that it was going to be fun. There was some nervousness in the air but it's normal. The guys had not played together for years, they had been mourning. It clicked well.

5 How did the first concerts with VOIVOD go, including the concert on June 22nd in Montreal?

The first concert was filled with emotion. But we were all smiling from ear to ear. Despite the difficult conditions of the festival, we had a lot of fun! But it was more than that, it was also, and the following and future shows, a tribute to Piggy.

6 Voivod is going to release their latest studio album "Infini". Have you had the opportunity to listen to it?

No I have not had the chance to listen to the last Voivod record but I am sure that is the bomb!

7 Voivod will come to Europe for a tour of the various festivals. Are you eager to come and see an audience that is waiting for Voivod?

Oh yes. And what’s more, I have never been to Europe so it’s a new adventure as a result of music! It's very motivating!

8 How do you see Voivod and on their recordings as a fan and as a guitarist?

Voivod albums are very varied, what this group does is of superior quality, always searching for something new. I loved "Killing Technology", "Dimension Hatross", "Nothingface", "Outer Limits" and "Phobos". I love the other albums but those are my favorites.

Otherwise, I will say that I try not to perceive music as a guitarist but as a musician or music lover, to capture the essence of the group rather than from the side of the instruments ... and Voivod has always surprised me, always twisting the mind with their post-nuclear atmosphere chaotic end-of-the-world psychedelic alien.

The imaginary extreme is so close to reality. Voivod is a "buzz," a micro universe, once you enter you will remain forever.

9 Martyr covered the classic Voivod "Brain Scan" on the latest album "Feeding the Abscess". Is there a particular reason that you chose it?

We didn't want to cover something too well-known and this track fit well into the concept of the rest of the album. And musically it reflects many aspects of Voivod in the same piece. It was hard to choose!

10 What is your current status with Martyr, a group that is highly valued by a core group of French fans since the release of "Warp Zone" on the label Sakhmet records?

Currently, we have just decided to make another album, therefore, composition ... and we are making concrete plans to go to Europe this year. Yes, in 2009!

11. Thank you for your time and I'll let you have the last word...

Thank you to everyone for your incredible support in the metal scene, no matter what the style, the Metal scene is a great brotherhood from one country to another, we are all there for the same reasons, it brings people together, it builds relationships, without having to worry about the borders and laws that we impose.
Come see us when we pass through your corner of the world!
Thank you for the great interview!

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