Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Voivod’s drummer and founding member Michel “Away” Langevin discussed how the band’s “Symphonique” live album, a unique collaboration with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre Symphonique De Québec), influenced the songwriting process for new material from Canada’s progressive sci-fi metal innovators in a recent interview with Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules, as per Blabbermouth.
I think that the symphonic concerts really influenced us in the writing and recording of the future studio album. In between tours, we are doing — we write a new album, and we are recording the album three songs at a time. And I think it’s gonna sound a bit like a movie soundtrack. It’s a concept album with the [Voivod mascot cyborg] Korgull coming back and everything. So, it’s kind of interesting what’s going on right now.
Away elaborated on Voivod’s current creative mindset.
We’re trying to be more and more experimental. And the last couple of albums were pretty intricate, and we won awards for them, so it’s giving us confidence. And we do have a secret weapon — it’s Chewy [Daniel Mongrain], our guitar player. He teaches jazz at college, and he has a lot of notions. And he already charted music for ‘The Wake’. We had the string quartet for the Montreal Jazz Festival and [2020’s] ‘The End Of Dormancy’ EP, he charted parts for a brass quintet. And so we try to include newer sounds in our music that will make it even more like a journey for the listener. There are no limits for us, it seems like, so we’re gonna try to push it really.
Away responded as follows when asked when he anticipates the release of the new Voivod album.
We have so many shows planned and so many projects in the works. I would say late next year [2027]. At least people will be able to enjoy the symphonic album. And also we have a video game coming out called ‘Nuclear Warrior’, and it’s based on end-of-’80s, early-’90s aesthetics. And again, we are all involved. I supplied a lot of low-res art Chewy’s working on turning the Voivod music into 8-bit style. Snake is doing the voice for the main character, and Rocky is testing the game, so it’s pretty fun. And the documentary ‘We Are Connected’ is coming out soon as well. And we just released a book with Jeff Wagner, ‘Always Moving’ — it’s more than 500 pages long. So many things are in the works, and tons of reissues all the time.
Voïvod UK/EU TOUR DATES
* – headline show with Midnight and Cryptosis
Find tickets and more information here.
