VOIVOD posts new tracks from “Infini”

Two brand new VOIVOD tracks, “Earthache” and “Global Warning”, taken from their forthcoming album Infini can be heard online now exclusively via Bravewords.com. Infini will see a June 23rd release date via Relapse Records stateside, and via Sonic Unyon in Canada.

Infini’s 13 tracks were the last to be written with late guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour. The CD version of Infini will be packaged in a deluxe digi-pack with artwork designed by VOIVOD drummer Away. Images and pre-order options for the CD can be viewed here with details on the double LP pressing forthcoming.

Infini was built from the final songs created by the band with Piggy. There were many discussions and ideas as to how to complete these recordings of songs that had never been actually performed with the whole band in one room. All of his original demo guitar tracks appear as they were recorded, no re-amping, no overdubs, just Piggy as he played the tracks he envisioned in his small bachelor apartment, the amp in the bathroom, capturing his performance with the laptop given to him by Jason Newsted.

Michel went into a studio in Montreal with engineer Glen Robinson and tracked his drum parts, and Jason waited anxiously to get the tracks and add his bass which he recorded with Enrique Gonzalez Müller at Fantasy Studios in San Francisco, then Snake tracked his vocals with Glen in Montreal afterwards. Jason and Enrique mixed the record in San Francisco over the holidays and Infini was born. Truly a collaborative record that came together from a respect and belief that these final VOIVOD songs deserved to be heard.

In light of this sentiment the band agreed to play some summer festivals in ‘08 with original bass player Blacky and fellow Montrealer Dan Mongrain of the band MARTYR, playing all classic era VOIVOD material. Dan turns out to be a technical wizard, and his own band MARTYR is a well respected extreme prog metal band from Montreal. It was a risky move without Piggy but the fans and the band were happy with the outcome so much so that this lineup will play more live shows this summer.

Snake summed it up this way, “If we don’t play live again then the songs die with Piggy and he wouldn’t want that, his genius deserves to be heard by new and life long fans.”

VOIVOD will perform at a number of upcoming summer festivals with the line-up of Denis “Snake” Bélanger (vocals), Dan Mongrain (guitars), Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault (bass), and Michel “Away” Langevin (drums), performing material from the first ten years of VOIVOD’s catalogue. A listing of confirmed appearances can be found below.

Jason is still a member of VOIVOD and one day there may be live shows performing the songs from the last three records that Jason was very much a part of. Currently the band is working on a short clip on the making of Infini.

Visit VOIVOD and the web at Voivod.Net and our TOUR DATES section for information about their upcoming European tour.