MTV.com wrote:Back in August, just days before Denis "Piggy" D'Amour succumbed to advanced colon cancer, Voivod drummer Michael "Away" Langevin said he awoke one morning to a ringing phone. It was D'Amour, and he wanted Langevin to stop into the Montreal hospital

"He told me, 'You have to come [to the hospital] right now. I have something to tell you,' " Away recalled. "I went, and he told me that the doctor informed him he had days to live. He said he really wanted to fulfill his contract with the End Records," Voivod's label home, "and then he instructed me to grab his laptop and started telling me where to find these files."

The files contained what Away described as "four albums' worth" of lead, rhythm and solo guitar tracks D'Amour had recorded prior to checking himself into the hospital the previous spring. While Voivod — rounded out by former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and singer Denis "Snake" Belanger — had spent more than two years working on fresh material together, none of it was recorded with state-of-the-art equipment in a professional studio. The music on D'Amour's laptop was.

A couple of hours after Away's bedside visit to D'Amour, "Piggy's mind started to wander, and I was asking him questions about the [computer files] and he had no idea what I was talking about. It's almost like he woke up and felt his brain was going and realized he needed to tell me [about the tracks] as soon as possible. He slipped into a coma a day or two later, so this album came very close to not existing."

"Close" is an understatement. But the good news is the album — which the band worked on with producer Glen Robinson (Gwar, Annihilator) by writing and recording around Piggy's guitar parts — is done. Away says he feels the yet-untitled effort's a fitting homage to his fallen bandmate. "It's quite a miracle that this music will live on," he said.

The disc, to be released this spring, will feature 10 tracks, with working titles like "Red My Mind," "The Getaway," "Polaroids," "After All" and "No Angel." Voivod plan to return to the studio in the fall to record another 13 tracks for an album Away said will surface in 2007.

"I'm proud of this album in the sense that it would have been a disaster that Piggy's music would go unheard," the drummer said. "Now it will be released, which is a miracle. I am proud that we were able to gather our spirits enough to actually finish off his work."

Voivod have no immediate touring plans, Away said. That's because it's been too hard for the band to discuss the topic. "We decided to concentrate on finishing this album and think about the live aspect of it later," he said. "Right now it's difficult for us to think about touring without Piggy being onstage with us. I think we'll have to eventually sit down and really discuss it, but it was hard enough to go into the studio and finish the album without him.

"Piggy was a founding member and has been there with us all the way through. I have been jamming with him since '79, so it's really hard to picture a tour without him. ... We'd have to find a replacement that Piggy would be proud of."

VOIVOD Finish Mixing New Album - Feb. 22, 2006
Legendary Canadian experimental metallers VOIVOD have finished mixing their much-anticipated new album with producer Glen Robinson (VOIVOD's "Nothingface", TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Drummer Michael "Away' Langevin has checked in with the following update:

"We just finished the mixing of the album. Glen, Jason [Newsted, bass], Snake [Denis Belanger, vocals] and I worked some crazy shifts to make sure that all the parts blend properly. Of course, we gave the guitar a particular attention. We really didn't want Piggy to be low in the mix. Glen is back in New York City and he's taking the album to Howie Weinberg for mastering today. Now I have to finish the art!"

VOIVOD New Album Title Revealed - Feb. 22, 2006
Canada's pioneering metal band VOIVOD have set "Katorz" as the title of their forthcoming album, due out late spring on The End Records in North America and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe. "Katorz" has been the working title for the new CD since at least the spring of 2005, according to previously published reports.

VOIVOD, who just finished mixing the album with producer Glen Robinson (ANNIHILATOR, TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, are now mastering the album in New York.

The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that did not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.

In order to record "Katorz", drummer Michael "Away" Langevin, singer Denis "Snake" Belanger and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted utilized all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.

Artwork and a full track-listing for the album will be released in the coming weeks.

VOIVOD Drummer Says New Album Is 'Mind-Blowing' - Mar. 13, 2006
Greg Prato of Billboard.com is reporting that VOIVOD are scheduled to release their new album, "Katorz", in June via The End Records. It will be the group's first CD since the passing of co-founding guitarist Denis D'Amour (a.k.a. Piggy), who died last August after a battle with colon cancer.

"It came about in unfortunate circumstances, but the result is mind-blowing," drummer Michel "Away" Langevin told Billboard.com. "Right before his departure, Denis explained to me that he had recorded all the tracks that we had been working on with [bassist] Jason [Newsted] and [vocalist] Snake [Belanger] for the past two years. He had recorded that on his laptop with ProTools, and even though he would have preferred to re-do the whole thing in a real studio, there was a chance that we could use the tracks. We built the album based on the guitar tracks, which was difficult, because normally, we go the other way around — we start with the drums, and then add stuff on top. But it sounds amazing."

"'Katorz' means 14 — it's the 14th effort of the band," Belanger added. "The first time Piggy put it together and gave us the demo was on CD, [and he had written] 'Katorz,' which is not the right way to write it. Of course [there is] an emotional side to it, so we took the demo, and the design of it will be his handwriting."

The End Records will make a new compilation CD available for the first time at its SXSW showcase on March 16.

The collection, entitled "Alternate Endings: A Diverse Sound Collective Featuring A Distinguished Ensemble", features songs from The End's upcoming releases. Many of the tracks contained on the CD are being available for the first time, including songs by VOIVOD, GIANT SQUID, AGALLOCH, VIRGIN BLACK, DISSECTION, UNEXPECT and LAETHORA. Various cuts from the compilation will become available at MP3.com for full streaming on March 22 at this location. The complete album will be available for streaming on March 23 at TheEndRecords.com.

"Alternate Endings: A Diverse Sound Collective Featuring A Distinguished Ensemble" track listing:

01. VOIVOD - The X-Stream*
02. THE GATHERING - Shortest Day
03. GREEN CARNATION - Alone
04. HEAD CONTROL SYSTEM - Wonderworld
05. GIANT SQUID - Neonate*
06. AGALLOCH - Falling Snow*
07. VIRGIN BLACK - Adelaide Symphony Orchestra sessions**
08. SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM - Sleep Is Wrong
09. DISSECTION - Starless Aeon
10. UNEXPECT - Megalomaniac Trees
11. THINE EYES BLEED - Cold Victim
12. SADUS - Sick
13. IMPALED NAZARENE - For Those Who Have Fallen
14. LAETHORA - Black Void Remembrance *
15. YYRKOON - Signs

* denotes alternate mix and will differ from album version
** String excerpts. Full instrumentation not represented

VOIVOD: New Song Available For Streaming! - Mar. 21, 2006
A brand new VOIVOD song, entitled "The X-Stream", has been made available for streaming at MP3.com. The track comes off the Canadian pioneering metal band's upcoming album, "Katorz", due in June on The End Records in North America and Nuclear Blast Records in Europe.

VOIVOD recorded and mixed the album with producer Glen Robinson (ANNIHILATOR, TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and mastered the CD in New York.

The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod", "Katorz" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that did not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.

In order to record "Katorz", drummer Michael "Away" Langevin, singer Denis "Snake" Belanger and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted utilized all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.

In a recent interview with Greg Prato of Billboard.com, Langevin had the following to say about the upcoming CD: "It came about in unfortunate circumstances, but the result is mind-blowing. Right before his departure, Denis explained to me that he had recorded all the tracks that we had been working on with Jason and Snake for the past two years. He had recorded that on his laptop with ProTools, and even though he would have preferred to re-do the whole thing in a real studio, there was a chance that we could use the tracks. We built the album based on the guitar tracks, which was difficult, because normally, we go the other way around — we start with the drums, and then add stuff on top. But it sounds amazing."

"'Katorz' means 14 — it's the 14th effort of the band," Belanger added. "The first time Piggy put it together and gave us the demo was on CD, [and he had written] 'Katorz', which is not the right way to write it. Of course [there is] an emotional side to it, so we took the demo, and the design of it will be his handwriting."

COMMENT | ...
posted by : Snake - Voivod
3/22/2006 9:50:45 AM

I love blabbermouth, It’s always fun to read negative comments like (this sucks) (way gay) Bla bla bla. It confirms me that I cannot please everyone and anyway this is not my goal. There are artists out there which their goals are exactly that. But I would like to see those dick heads on blabbermouth putting a band together. It would be one of the greatest things ever happen in music industry. No one would be able to play a single note of music, they would use a beat box coz none of them can even count. But wait a minute, that is exactly what is playing on most music radio and television channel. C’mon guys, you can do it, it’s so easy. Easy like saying Fuck You.

For those who appreciate rock/ metal music in all aspect, I‘d like to say thanks for your support. There’s not enough rock/metal music playing out there to discredit not a single one of them. Not even GNR. By the way I still love them.

Voivod !!!!

Cheers,
Snake

and while you're there, check out that new dissection song, it kills. doesn't that first riff remind you of voivod?

TC wrote:and i guess we should remember that this is listed as an alternate mix, that the album version will be different. it's good enough for me to remain interested in the album, but i did hope for more. but as i have learned with voivod, you can't judge them by one song.

VOIVOD: 'Katorz' North American Release Date Announced - Apr. 21, 2006

Canada's pioneering metal band VOIVOD have set July 25, 2006 as the North American release date (via The End Records) for their much-anticipated new album, "Katorz".

As previously reported, VOIVOD recorded and mixed the album with producer Glen Robinson (ANNIHILATOR, TEA PARTY, GWAR) at Multisons studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and mastered the CD in New York.

The follow-up to 2003's "Voivod", "Katorz" is the first album in the band's 20-plus-year career that did not feature founding guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour working alongside his bandmembers in the studio. D'Amour died August 26, 2005 in a Montreal hospital from complications of advanced colon cancer.

In order to record "Katorz", singer Denis "Snake" Belanger, drummer Michael "Away" Langevin, and bassist Jason "Jasonic" Newsted utilized all of the guitar parts that Piggy had recorded for the record on his laptop with ProTools before his death.

In a recent interview with Greg Prato of Billboard.com, Langevin had the following to say about the upcoming CD: "It came about in unfortunate circumstances, but the result is mind-blowing. Right before his departure, Denis explained to me that he had recorded all the tracks that we had been working on with Jason and Snake for the past two years. He had recorded that on his laptop with ProTools, and even though he would have preferred to re-do the whole thing in a real studio, there was a chance that we could use the tracks. We built the album based on the guitar tracks, which was difficult, because normally, we go the other way around — we start with the drums, and then add stuff on top. But it sounds amazing."

"'Katorz' means 14 — it's the 14th effort of the band," Belanger added. "The first time Piggy put it together and gave us the demo was on CD, [and he had written] 'Katorz', which is not the right way to write it. Of course [there is] an emotional side to it, so we took the demo, and the design of it will be his handwriting."

Check out the track "The X-Stream", taken from the upcoming CD, in streaming audio format at MP3.com.

VOIVOD To Begin Work On 'Katorz' Follow-Up This Winter - Nov. 29, 2006
VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin has issued the following update on the band's current activities:

"A video for 'The Getaway' has just been completed and submitted to all national and regional cable outlets such as MTV2, Fuse, etc. The footage was pulled from the 2003 American tours and the 2006 recording sessions of 'Katorz'. Currently we are working on a video for 'Polaroids' with Banger Productions ('Metal: A Headbangers Journey') and then we will follow that up with a video for 'The X-Stream'.

"I am still hard at work on the re-issues (due out on The End Records next year). We will start with the Sanctuary ones ('Rrroooaaarrr', 'Dimension Hatross' and 'Killing Technology'). Each album will be remastered and will come with a bonus 'Iron Gang' DVD. The pre-production for the follow-up to 'Katorz' will start this winter. Also, we are still trying to coordinate a tribute show for 2007.

"Be sure to check out our web store at bandmerch.com, soon to feature prints of my artwork and a commemorative 'Piggy' pin. Troubleman Unlimited are still working on the layout of my art book. I should have a release date very soon."