Former VOIVOD Frontman ERIC FORREST Paying Tribute To Late Guitarist PIGGY

December 18, 2008

Brutalism.com recently conducted an interview with former VOIVOD and current E-FORCE frontman Eric Forrest. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Brutalism.com: How is your health these days? I'm sure all the fans are happy to see you back rocking again. [Forrest was seriously injured in 1998 when VOIVOD's tour van was involved in a one-vehicle accident outside Mannheim, Germany.]

Eric: Pretty good considering... Not 100 percent and never will be, but I am alive and still able to walk/rock/and keep the wife happy on a good day. Back rocking? Well, I never really stopped... just for about 10 months to recover somewhat. After that, we (VOIVOD) were supporting IRON MAIDEN in Canada (Ed Hunter tour 1999) plus [we completed] two European tours and [had] a 12-song demo ready to be recorded with full production in Chicago with [producer] Steve Albini. Then we had a band meeting, and just for the record, I did not quit VOIVOD! The guys told me in March 2001 that they did not want to continue VOIVOD anymore... PERIOD! I did not believe it for a minute. In a lot of ways, that version of VOIVOD had kind of run its course. The VOIVOD Mk/ II had seen better days (as did the other version) and some realities definitely got distorted. However, looking back, I guess you could say I got sacked in a nice way. As a band, VOIVOD were better off with Snake [Denis Belanger, vocals] and Jasonic [Jason Newsted, bass]. I mean, c'mon, how can I compete with the original singer of eight records and the ex-bass player of METALLICA? They made the right decision giving Piggy [late VOIVOD guitarist Denis D'Amour] a few more victory laps before his unfortunate departure, if you know what I mean. There were never any hard feelings after my band departure. It was their band that I joined and had the honor and priviledge to be a part of. Back rocking? Yes, a new E-FORCE record called "Modified Poison"!

Brutalism.com: Why did you decide to remake an old VOIVOD demo track [for the new E-FORCE album]?

Eric: As a tribute to Piggy, the riffmaster P! Away [VOIVOD drummer Michel Langevin] told me at [Piggy's] funeral that one day a DVD [would come out featuring] the trio live footage (Dynamo 1996 concert, promotional videos for "Insect" and "Tower", and the 12-song demo from 2001). I really lived and learned a lot with Piggy (and Away, of course). The song is called "Victory" and is about universal coalition, which made sense, and having the song in full production was a victory also. But it is really for the fans of Piggy and VOIVOD to be enjoyed — a bonus souvenir.

Brutalism.com: How do you think the songs on this [new E-FORCE] album differ from or are similar to what you did with VOIVOD?

Eric: Well, the VOIVOD influence is there, for sure. It's in my blood! But some ideas are different. It's a thrash/black metal record with a side order of "shreddzilla," if you know what I mean. Have a listen and you — yes YOU! — will understand. Fans of VOIVOD or any thrash metal will dig it, trust me!

Read the entire interview from Brutalism.com.

Watch video footage of E-FORCE performing at last year's Brutal Assault festival, which took place August 9-11, 2007 at the Old Army Fortress Josefov in Jaromer, Czech Republic:

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