VOIVOD's AWAY: BLACKY Will Never Rejoin The Band

VOIVOD fans hoping for a reunion of the band's original — and most celebrated — lineup are unlikely to get their wish, according to drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away). "Unfortunately we don't really get along with [original bassist] Blacky," Langevin told Metal Update. "He is the one who will never be back in the fold. I know that it would please the hardcore fans and everything, but it just won't happen. The circumstances of his departure were really hurtful. It has a lot to do with childhood friendship and broken trust. I don't think we can patch it up, actually. It's too bad. It really got to the bottom of the barrel with the 'Angel Rat' recordings. We were not too sure about the final result of the album, but our approach was just, 'Okay, let's keep going and next time we'll do better,' you know? But it didn't happen like that with Blacky, and the way he left the band was really, really awful. But it's something that we never discuss in the press and it's an obscure part of the VOIVOD story. It's just that the breakup was so sour. With Snake it's different, the way it happened was on friendly terms and it was different circumstances. I know that Blacky really, really hates 'Angel Rat' but we just thought back then, 'Well, we'll do better next time, let's keep going.' You fall, you stand up again and you keep going.

"Some parts [on 'Angel Rat'] were written to be huge, like the song 'Angel Rat' and 'Freedoom' and stuff like that, but it came out a little too soft because of the production. But we tried. [Producer] Terry Brown was a gentleman and it ended up that his sound was not appropriate for VOIVOD, but hey, it was done and there was no more money to put into the project for a remix or anything like that. I think the smartest move would have been to tour for that album and make a better one after that, but Blacky didn't feel that way. There is always more than one reason for somebody to leave a band, and some of his reasons I will never know. It's in Blacky's head."

In the same interview, Michel commented on the reports of current VOIVOD and former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted auditioning for OZZY OSBOURNE's touring band.

"I know that Jason was offered the gig and he really wants to do it, and he was the only person offered, so I guess he'll be Ozzy's bass player," the drummer said. "But it's hard for me to tell what's going to happen because he's jamming with Ozzy this week, just to see if the chemistry is there, but I know that if it's there he gets the gig, so what will happen then, he'll jump from the smaller stage to the bigger stage the same day [at this year's Ozzfest]. Asked if Newsted's stint with Ozzy would be a permanent thing," Michel said, "Yeah, yeah, he would be with Ozzy as long as Ozzy needs him." As to whether Jason can coordinate Ozzy's upcoming touring and recording commitments with VOIVOD already being full-time, Langevin replied, "Oh yeah, definitely. We're just taking it day by day and enjoying the scenario right now. And it's gonna give even more profile to VOIVOD if Jason plays with Ozzy. I think it's fantastic for him. I was surprised that nothing like that was offered to him in the past couple years, I was just waiting for something huge like that to happen to him."

Read the whole interview here.