Michel (Away) Langevin

Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Voivod Drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin about the bands new special anniversary studio album ‘Morgoth Tales’ that will be released July 21, 2023 via Century Media.

Away also spoke about Voivod’s upcoming album re-releases, AI and gave an update on writing new music and the releaser date of the upcoming Voivod documentary.

When asked about the new album’ Morgoth Tales’ that features re-recordings songs from the band’s catalog
“The result is really great. The whole album you can really see the progression of the band over the years because we did the album tracks in chronological order, plus we wrote a song on tour for this album to show who we are now. Morgoth Tales is a great sounding album but the challenge is not to recapture the youthful energy and all that but it’s to give the people our impression of these songs now.”

When asked about choosing the songs for the new re-recording studio album
‘We just picked a bunch of songs that could fit onto Vinyl. Then we decided to add a bonus track for the CD, which is a cover of P.I.L. called ‘Home’. We wanted to do a P.I.L. cover and when we read the lyrics of that song we understood that it was the right one to do cause it’s really relevant, talking about what is going on right now. Johnny Rotten has always been a hero for Snake and I in particular.”

When asked about the Jason Newsted era and how he joined the band
‘Well what happened was a year after the band split (around 2000), Piggy and I got anxious and checked out with Snake if he wanted to join the band again. So we thought let’s phone Jason (Newsted) because we had done so many records with him in the past and he immediately got excited and ended up joining the band. The funny thing is when I phoned him to ask him to be a guest bassist on the album (originally), he said how did you know I just left Metallica? But it was just a very strange coincidence. We are also looking into re-releasing the self titled Voivod album with Jason Newsted (2003). We secured the rights but I think we will save this re-release of this self-titled album for next year.”

When asked about when the Voivod documentary will be completed
“It is near completion, just a little more editing here and there. I am sure it is going to be out next year (2024), same with the book. “

When asked about if Voivod started writing new music
” So on the last tour we just did, on the road we have been writing some ideas on our computesr. In October to January we might be able to write a new album hopefully”

When asked about AI and technology today in music
“I will always try to use technology as much as I can use it in music and video but what I am most afraid of is AI controlling high tech weaponry, this is my main fear. “

Once more recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, mastered by Maor Appelbaum and produced by VOIVOD, Morgöth Tales includes fresh studio (re-)recordings by the band’s current line-up of 9 especially selected, not-so-obvious picks from the band’s hyper-classy and extremely diverse back catalogue (between 1984 and 2003) as well as a brand-new song in the album’s title-track, “Morgöth Tales”.

VOIVOD – Morgöth Tales

Condemned To The Gallows (2023 Version) [Originally on Metal Massacre V Compilation, 1984]
Thrashing Rage (2023 Version) [Originally on “Rrröööaaarrr”, 1986]
Killing Technology (2023 Version) [Originally on “Killing Technology”, 1987]
Macrosolutions To Megaproblems (2023 Version) [Originally on“Dimension Hatröss”, 1988]
Pre-Ignition (2023 Version) [Originally on “Nothingface”, 1989]
Nuage Fractal (2023 Version) [Originally on “Angel Rat”, 1991]
Fix My Heart (2023 Version) [Originally on “The Outer Limits”, 1993]
Rise (2023 Version, feat. Eric Forrest) [Originally on “Phobos”, 1997]
Rebel Robot (2023 Version, feat. Jason Newsted) [Originally on “Voivod”, 2003]
Morgöth Tales [New Song]

VOIVOD line-up:
Dominic “Rocky” Laroche – Bass
Michel “Away” Langevin – Drums
Denis “Snake” Bélanger – Vocals
Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain – Guitar

Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently interviewed VOIVOD‘s drummer Michel (Away) Langevin at Heavy Montreal on July 29 2018. Away spoke about the bands new upcoing album The Wake, the origins of their band nicknames, Jason Newsted era of the band and working with famed Rush producer Terry Brown on their 1991 album Angel Rat.

Watch the interview here:

When asked about the new upcoming album called THE WAKE
“The Wake is more of a prog metal album similar to Phobas and Dimension Hatross with a long story (concept album) all the way through, it’s very intricate and it’s coming out on September 21 2018. The album’s musical style has also the thrash metal elements and the punk side as well. It’s different from the last LP Target Earth 2013, however it is similar to the E.P. Post Society that we released two years ago. It’s sort of a continuation to Post Society with the new band line up, if anything it’s sort of like a new direction sort of fusion metal in a way. There is a very good chemistry right now with the band and the main writer is guitarist Chewy Daniel Mongrain .”

When asked what guitarist Chewy Daniel Mongrain who replaced Piggy brings to the band
“I can still hear the Voivod signature with Piggy’s chords in Chewy’s style but Piggy was a bit more old school like Motorhead, Chewy is more new school, he has more of a new edge but what I really like is he brings more of a jazzy style cause it makes me play differently, he brings a lot to the new style of Voivod.”

When asked about their nicknames
“Chewy is a big fan of Star Wars that is how he got his name. Rocky’s real name is Dominique Laroche and his last name translates to The Rock and his musical name in the music scene in Quebec is ROCK so we just said you have to be Rocky. Snake came from when we started the band he was in improv theater and he had to imitate a worm and he crawled like a snake so we called him Snake. As for my name Away it is mainly because of my drawings but it is also when I was studying science at the university and I had had rehearsals, I could not cope with doing both so I was Away from rehearsals.”

When asked about acquiring the rights to their biggest hit Astronomy Domine off their breakout album Nothingface
“Through MCA we were able to reach out to David Gilmore and he had to approved our version of the song and he did and it got on heavy rotation on MTV.”

When asked about when Jason Newsted time in the band (2002-2008)
“Jason first came to see us in San Francisco in the 80’s and we kept in touch. Then between 1989-and 1999 we went to his studio many times in San Francisco and we did some projects together and when we reformed with Snake in 2001 we asked Jason to play on our album one song but he loved it so much he played on the whole album (the self titled album) and joined the band. When Piggy passed away 2005 he had such a musical connection to Piggy he just could not go on. ”

VOIVOD will release their new studio album, “The Wake”, on September 21 for via Century Media Records

“The Wake” track listing:

01. Obsolete Beings
02. The End Of Dormancy
03. Orb Confusion
04. Iconspiracy
05. Spherical Perspective
06. Event Horizon
07. Always Moving
08. Sonic Mycelium