VOIVOD Members Discuss Forthcoming Album In New Video Interview

Canadian metal innovators VOIVOD were interviewed by the "Metal Eye" show on Z1 TV when the band performed in Zagreb, Croatia on May 8, 2011. You can now watch the chat below.

When asked if VOIVOD has been working on new material and when we can expect a new album from the band, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin said, "Yeah, we're writing new material. We have some songs ready and we're working on some other songs. After this tour, we hope to have some time to write and fine-tune everything so that we can record in the fall and maybe have a new album out early next year."

Regarding what the new VOIVOD songs sound like, guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain who replaced the group's late axeman Denis "Piggy" D'Amour said, "As a VOIVOD fan since I am 12 years old and early rise of VOIVOD in late '80s and everything, I think I'm in conflict of interest right now. [Laughs] I like the old stuff as much as the new stuff, so I think it's a blend of everything. It's really a team work and Blacky [Jean-Yves Thriault] is back on the 'blower bass' he's got the original sound and we're having a blast jamming, improvising and writing. I think it's working pretty good."

On the topic of the lyrical themes covered in the new VOIVOD tracks, singer Denis "Snake" Belanger said, "The song we played tonight ['Kaleidos'] is about conspiracy involving drugs and the FBI [Laughs] It's hard to describe because we're kind of early in the process. There's another song called 'Target Earth', which is more like a spacy, conspiracy, controlling the information around the world. The main thing is the 'war' of information. You know, somebody Osama Bin Laden is dead, someone [else] says he's not It gets to a point where everybody has his own story and nobody is sure what the truth is. There's people above everything controlling the information."

VOIVOD will release a new live album, "Warriors Of Ice", in the U.S. on June 21 via Sonic Unyon Metal. The CD, which can already be purchased digitally, will be made available in Canada on June 17 through Indica Records.

Late in 2009, VOIVOD released their live "Tatsumaki: Voivod Japan 2008" DVD, filmed the previous fall when they toured Japan for the first time ever. To celebrate its release of the DVD, VOIVOD performed in front of a sold-out crowd on December 12, 2009 at Club Soda in their adopted hometown of Montreal, Quebec. It was their first headlining show in the city of Montreal in more than ten years and it was celebrated in grand style. It was a fitting end to a busy year that saw them named "Metal Band Of The Year" at the 2010 Indie Awards in Canada. The show was recorded for posterity and is now being released as the fifteen-track "Warriors Of Ice", the first official VOIVOD live album to feature original band members Denis "Snake" Belanger on vocals, Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault on bass and Michel "Away" Langevin on drums, as well as new guitarist Dan "Chewy" Mongrain.

"Warriors Of Ice" highlights the classic period of the original VOIVOD lineup as well as a few new songs, all raging with the band's notorious live energy. Containing songs from their classic albums, spanning from 1984's "War And Pain" right up through 1991's "Angel Rat", as well as two songs from their 2009 "Infini" LP, the album is built of VOIVOD's signature songs, from "Voivod" and "Nuclear War" to "Tribal Convictions" and "Astronomy Domine" (PINK FLOYD cover).

"Warriors Of Ice" track listing:

01. Voivod
02. The Unknown Knows
03. The Prow
04. Ripping Headaches
05. Ravenous Medicine
06. Tribal Convictions
07. Overreaction
08. Panorama
09. Global Warning
10. Treasure Chase
11. Tornado
12. Nothingface
13. Brain Scan
14. Nuclear War
15. Astronomy Domine (PINK FLOYD cover)

The 15-track set captured on "Warriors Of Ice" is undeniably packed with VOIVOD fan favorites, making it an absolute must-have release for diehard fans and a great starting point for the uninitiated as well. This is the main set VOIVOD ravaged their audiences with on their 2010 U.S. tour alongside KREATOR, and at their headlining slot at the 2010 Scion Rock Fest.

"Tatsumaki: Voivod Japan 2008" was released on November 17, 2009 via MVD Entertainment Group. The disc contains professionally filmed footage (three-camera shoot) of VOIVOD's September 20, 2008 concert at Club Citta in Kawasaki, Japan. The band was in Japan taking part in the two-night Thrash Domination 2008 event alongside TESTAMENT and FORBIDDEN.

"Infini", the latest album from VOIVOD, landed at position No. 67 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Interview at Mocvara in Zagreb, Croatia on May 8, 2011:

"Kaleidos" performance at Roadburn festival in Tilburg, Holland on April 15, 2011: