VOIVOD Recruits ERIC FORREST For Summer 2026 European Tour After 'Family Matter' Forces SNAKE To Sit Out Shows

VOIVOD frontman Denis "Snake" Bélanger will sit out the band's European tour this summer in order to attend to a family matter". He will be temporarily replaced by former VOIVOD and current E-FORCE vocalist/bassist Eric Forrest.

Earlier today, VOIVOD released the following statement via social media: "Eric Forrest (aka E-Force) to the rescue as Denis Bélanger (aka Snake) needs to attend to a family matter this summer.

"E-Force from 1994 to 2000 was the lead singer and bass player for the formidable power trio years of VOIVOD. Upon return from a successful UK/Ireland tour with festivals in Iceland, Netherlands and Spain, Snake received news that weighed heavily on him and needed to make a very tough decision.

"The band unanimously agreed that family matters most and were set to cancel the upcoming run of summer European shows from July 10 to August 16, when Snake suggested perhaps the band could carry on if E-Force was available and interested. After all, Eric is part of the VOIVOD family and is actively performing, but dealing with his own health issues. Once reached, Eric was beyond flattered, and said he'd be able to clear his schedule and his health was in check.

"A set list has been worked out. Rocky, Chewy and Away look forward to performing with E-Force and will be thinking of Snake. The show will go on and the Cosmic VOIVOD Multiverse keeps expanding.

"We are Connected!"

Eric added: "Greetings to all! I am honored and blessed to be asked to fill in for Snake this summer, to keep the VOIVOD fans, band, legacy in motion!! I'm very thrilled to be part of this tour. I never ever imagined this, but I'm happy and motivated to step in and take care of business...Can't wait to see you all! Merci, santé!"

Tour dates:

Jul. 10 - Frantic Fest warm-up @ Milan, IT
Jul. 12 - Disaster Metal Festival @ Cagliari, IT
Jul. 14 - Analog Music Hall @ Budapest, HU
Jul. 15 - Arena @ Vienna, AT
Jul. 16 - Masters of Rock @ Vizovice, CZ
Jul. 17 - Area 53 Festival @ Leoben, AT
Jul. 20 - Rockhouse @ Salzburg, AT
Jul. 21 - Feierwerk @ Munich, DE
Jul. 22 - Cafe Central @ Weinheim, DE
Jul. 23 - Turock @ Essen, DE
Jul. 25 - Headbangers Open Air @ Brande-Hörnerkirchen, DE
Jul. 27 - Drizzly Grizzly @ Gdańsk, PL
Jul. 28 - Hydrozagadka @ Warsaw, PL
Jul. 29 - Randal Club @ Bratislava, SK
Jul. 30 - Zappa Barka @ Belgrade, SER
Jul. 31 - Rockstadt Extreme @ Brasov, RO
Aug. 02 - Mixtape 5 @ Sofia, BG
Aug. 03 - Eightball Club @ Thessaloniki, GR
Aug. 04 - Gazarte Ground Stage @ Athens, GR
Aug. 07 - Sonic Blast Festival @ Ancora, PT
Aug. 09 - Alcatraz Festival @ Kortrijk, BE
Aug. 10 - Mergener Hof @ Trier, DE
Aug. 11 - KIFF @ Aarau, CH
Aug. 14 - Frantic Festival @ Fr. Al Mare, IT
Aug. 16 - Motocultor Festival @ Carhaix, FR

Earlier this year, it was reported that Snake's partner Christine McDonald was battling stage four colorectal cancer. In an effort to assist with mounting medical and related expenses, a GoFundMe campaign had been launched to help support her during this difficult time.

This past February, Forrest went public with his prostate cancer battle. Eric, who lives in Toulouse, France, wrote at the time that he was diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer in 2024 after registering a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of 23. He added: "I've kept this pretty much private for many reasons. After many delays … administration procedures, I have been on a daily routine to advance my situation (some days better than others). However, maintaining a disciplined scheduled format cycle. Plus, [with] some love and support from family and close friends."

As previously reported, E-FORCE is putting the finishing touches on a new album, "Voivod Revisited". In an interview with Chile's iRock, Forrest said the effort will contain re-recordings of songs from the two VOIVOD albums he appeared on, 1995's "Negatron" and 1997's "Phobos", as well as a new original track and a cover version of an as-yet-unspecified song. Furthermore, current VOIVOD guitarist Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain will contribute a guitar solo to E-FORCE's new recording of the "Negatron" track "Nanoman", the lyrics to which were originally written by Ivan Doroschuk of MEN WITHOUT HATS.

Regarding why E-FORCE is re-recording songs from VOIVOD nearly 25 years after his departure from the band, Forrest told iRock: "Well, throughout the E-FORCE career, I've always played a couple of VOIVOD songs in the set. The majority is E-FORCE [material], and [there are] two three VOIVOD songs in the [set]. I guess it was kind of like going to [see], back in the day or whatever, when he was alive, [former IRON MAIDEN singer] Paul Di'Anno, you wanna hear some IRON MAIDEN, of course. So I've always put a few songs in the set. But, say the last four or five years, since our last release, 'Mindbender' record, with all this COVID shit, it really fucked everything up for us and many bands. And we were kind of doing this 'Voivod Revisited' shows for the last four or five years. So the timing seems right just to do."

Reflecting on his time with VOIVOD, Eric said: "It was a real honor and privilege to be part of it. Many, many great experiences that I really lived and learned a lot from those guys. And what an incredible experience, to say the least. It was the first time I'd seen a drummer do drum tracks with no ghost guitar guides or nothing. [VOIVOD drummer Michel 'Away' Langevin] would do his tracks with just playing the drums. It's just, like, wow, I'd never seen that — ever, because people have the ghost track, the demo to play along with. Away would just play the song, memorize the whole thing in his head and play. It's just, like, wow. That's special. And, of course, riff master Piggy [late VOIVOD guitarist Denis D'Amour] would just come up with these riffs and experiment with stuff. And sometimes he's just fucking around and he creates something [great]. Wow. Really, really really cool."

On the topic of how his songwriting approach has evolved since his time with VOIVOD, Forrest said: "Well, it's very similar but yet different. It's kind of what I see my vision of what I wanted to write. I mean, when I was with VOIVOD, I kind of followed those guys and contributed what I could. But in E-FORCE, I'm the boss, so I write what I want lyrically or musically, and it's different. It's more work, but when it's finished, it's very gratifying and a good feeling. So I just roll with it and do what I can."

"Voivod Revisited" is tentatively due later this year via Mighty Music.

E-FORCE's fifth studio album, "Mindbender", was released in November 2021.

E-FORCE was formed in Montreal, Canada in 2001 by Forrest upon his departure from the legendary Canadian cyber metallers VOIVOD. In all, Eric appeared on two VOIVOD studio masterpieces, "Negatron" and "Phobos", on the live album "Voivod Lives" and on the compilation "Kronik". When leaving VOIVOD, Forrest used his nickname, E-Force, as the name for his new band.

Forrest's wide array of musical influences and vocal capabilities set E-FORCE apart from the pack and ensure that this band is very original. E-FORCE released their debut album "Evil Forces" to widespread critical acclaim in 2003. Soon after, Forrest relocated to France, resulting in a lineup change.

In 2008, E-FORCE released their follow-up, "Modified Poison". The album further expanded the intensity of the band, impressing both fans and critics alike.

In 2014, the band released their third album, "The Curse", on Mausoleum Records. "Curse" was a concept album based on a collection of songs describing the power and temptation of, and obsession with the female race.

The fourth album was released in 2015 on Mausoleum Records: "Demonikhol", lyrically another concept album with alcohol as the subject matter, illustrating the ravages and destruction of all kinds it is capable of causing. Musically, E-FORCE has become an intense and shatteringly percussive killing machine, driven by battering ram guitars, supporting Eric's primal screaming vocal assault.

In 2017, to celebrate the anniversary of VOIVOD's legendary album "Phobos", Forrest led a European tour performing songs from "Negatron" and "Phobos" albums by VOIVOD. The band assembled for that tour was operating under the name "E-FORCE Performing VOIVOD". In 2018 the tour achieved by participating to the Brutal Assault festival (Czech Republic).