VOIVOD

VOIVOD's Michel "Away" Langevin On The Conte & Kenny Show Tonight, On Cringe Humor Radio

Tonight's (June 25th) Cringe Humor Radio program The Conte & Kenny Show, heard each Monday from 7 - 9 PM (EST) at this location, will feature an interview with VOIVOD/KOSMOS drummer Michel "Away" Langevin will be interviewed live tonight (Monday, June 25) on the "Conte and Kenny Show" on Cringe Humor Radio.

Langevin recently gave BW&BK an exclusive look at the origins of his new band, Kosmos, who will soon see their first album released by The End Records.

“It started with a bunch of friends getting together to listen to Krautrock music,” says Langevin, “old German albums from the ‘70s, Can, Faust and so on. Since we were all musicians from other bands, we thought, Why not give it a try? We started building songs then we started renting this place where you pay by the hour and it’s all set up with a drum kit and everything. We ended up writing a full album and it’s all self-produced, so the process was a bit slow. Whenever we had a bit of money, we’d go into a studio.”

Langevin also recently released an album with a hardcore band he’s been playing with, LES ÉKORCHÉS . As well, his first book of artwork is scheduled to be published soon, and reissues of Voivod’s back catalogue, with extensive bonuses and DVDs, are in the works.

As well, Voivod plan on hitting the studio in the fall to finish recording 13 more songs, the last of the batch that guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour recorded before he passed away in August 2005 due to complications from colon cancer. The other songs from this session of Piggy’s were used for Voivod’s last album, 2006’s Katorz.

Look for a complete update with Langevin in BW&BK #106, due out in September.

VOIVOD - Reissues, Bonus DVDs On The Way

www.MTV.com has issued the following report from Chris Harris and Jon Wiederhorn:

Fans of Canadian experimental-metal band VOIVOD are known for their open-mindedness, so drummer Michel "Away" Langevin is hoping they'll embrace his new band KOSMOS - even though the group's music is more meta than metal.

Inspired by '70s Krautrock bands like NEU!, FAUST and CAN, and more obscure bands including BIRTH CONTROL and OMEGA, Kosmos combine the majesty and complexity of heavy prog rock with the effect-laden otherworldliness of space/psych rock.

"With a name like Kosmos, I hope people are expecting something pretty experimental," Langevin said. "[Late Voivod guitarist Denis] 'Piggy' [D'Amour] and I had been listening to this kind of music since the mid-'70s. I've always enjoyed these bands that create strange progressive music mixed with avant-garde stuff, so I figured, 'Well, why not put together a band like that?' "

Langevin formed Kosmos in early 2006 with PARADISE guitarist Jetphil, GROOVY AARDVARK and GRIM SKUNK bassist Vincent Peake and keyboardist/programmer Alex Crow. The band also recruited admired underground Montreal musicians to guest on its self-titled debut: Xavier Caféïne, the singer for punk band CAFEINE, provided vocals to a cover of GONG's 'Much Too Old'; and Lucien Francoeur of the '70s experimental band AUT'CHOSE did spoken word on 'Amerique Innavouable'.

"Piggy and I actually helped re-form Aut'Chose with the original guitar player and singer for a one-show, one-album kind of thing," Langevin said. "And we played a few shows with them in 2005. It was actually the last show Piggy played before he took ill."

Kosmos, which comes out September 4th, is a mostly instrumental collection of songs that sound like a bizarre hybrid of DEEP PURPLE, PINK FLOYD, AMON DUUL and horror-film-soundtrack band GOBLIN. But while songs like 'Krautrock', 'Psycho' and 'Grand Grizou' are filled with expansive jams, mind-bending rhythms, clattering electronics and dueling guitar and keyboard solos, they're structured with both entrancing groove and compelling diversity.

"We worked hard on it, but it was fun," Langevin said. "We did it bit by bit over a period of nine months. After it was finished, we sent it to the End Records, [which signed Voivod,] but it's so experimental, we didn't think anyone would be interested. And then they got back to us and ended up singing us for three albums. So now we are writing new material. It's specifically a very fun project that turned more serious than we expected."

After the album is out, Kosmos may do some touring, but as for Lanvegin, he's focused once again on Voivod. He recently finished remastering the band's 1986 album, Rrröööaaarrr!, and editing a bonus DVD that will accompany the re-release of the LP in the fall. The package will be filled with live and demo recordings that were sold in the '80s via the band's Iron Gang fan club; fan-recorded footage, including the group's first U.S. show, an opening gig for Venom; rare archival photos; and cassette recordings dating back to 1980. "I found an early tape of Piggy doing an avant-garde collage of sounds that's very good, so that will be a bonus on Rrröööaaarrr! as well."

The Rrröööaaarrr! reissue will be followed early next year by reissues of 1987's Killing Technology and 1988's Dimension Hatröss, which will be similarly equipped with bonus DVDs. After the first batch of reissues come out, Langevin plans to work on reissues of 1991's Angel Rat and 1993's The Outer Limits. He's negotiating to put out 1989's Nothingface as well but is running into some red tape.

Read more at MTV.com.

Special Report: VOIVOD's Piggy Inducted Into Quebec Metal Hall Of Fame

Special Report by David Perri

The late VOIVOD guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour was inducted into the Quebec Metal Hall Of Fame on September 1 as part of this weekend's three-day 25 Years Of Quebec Metal festival at Club Soda in Montreal.

The induction was preceded by a video montage that paid tribute to Piggy, and an elegant banner marking his induction was then hoisted to the venue's rafters. All the while, one of Piggy's home-made guitars was also on display.

Touching remarks about Piggy's life were subsequently delivered to the crowd by Maurice Richard (former Voivod manager/25 Years Of Quebec Metal promoter), Steeve Hurdle (NEGATIVA/ex-GORGUTS), Ian Campbell (DESCEND INTO NOTHINGNESS/ex-NEURAXIS), and Denis "Snake" Belanger (Voivod).

A surprise, unannounced performance then began, with a supergroup including Daniel Mongrain (MARTYR) and Jean-Yves "Blacky" Theriault (ex-Voivod) playing a spirited medley of Voivod classics.

After the Voivod medley ended, Snake and Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin joined Blacky on stage. Piggy's family and his girlfriend also came out on to the stage. Snake folded the hall of fame induction banner and presented it to the D'Amour family.

All in all, the induction was a classy and moving affair that justly gave praise to one of metal's most innovative figures.

Piggy died on August 26, 2005 from complications arising from cancer. He is greatly missed by many.