VOIVOD confirms 6 new completed tracks for the follow-up to 2013’s Target Earth

June 30, 2017 Joel Barrios Canada, Hot News, Upcoming Events, USA

By Joel Barrios, Rock at Night Miami’s correspondent

Canadian progressive thrash legends VOIVOD have completed six new tracks for what will be the follow-up to their 2013’s album “Target Earth”. Drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin also reports that they have been working on a further three tracks and because most of them are “very long and progressive” their 17th record could be a double album. “We have nine songs in the works and six are finished, so when we get back home in July, we have a lot of work to do between shows to finish the writing. We should be ready to record in August.”

VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band’s origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the “big four” Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the ’80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres.

Asked about the musical direction of the new material, Away reports: “It’s in the vein of the 2016 Post Society EP. So far, most of the songs are very long and progressive. We want to write a couple of short rockers to have a good blend. So far it’s very intricate and progressive thrash metal with a bit of punk as usual. It’s still Voivod – it’s a newer Voivod and I think the spirit is intact. It could be a double vinyl because so far it’s already pretty long. Once we’re finished, it should be a pretty lengthy album.”

Last April 28th the band reissued their three classic albums from the Noise Records years through BMG. 1986’s “Rrrroooaaarrr”, 1987’s “Killing Technology” and 1988’s “Dimension Hatross” have all been remastered, with the CD versions containing a whole host of addition extras including a double CD of the album, a live set and an additional DVD of live performances, rehearsals and photos all compiled from the bands own personal archives. The 2CD/DVD Set vividly captures the period surrounding the albums, where the band’s sound and concept come together in perfect union, and where the transition from thrash metal into something altogether more unique, was finally made. All three albums were re-mastered from the original tapes, pressed on high quality heavy-weight vinyl and the artwork was replicated from the original release. They are now available on vinyl again for the first time in 30 years!

The band is hoping for the new record will be ready to ship in early 2018. They just wrapped up a European tour and will return to Canada to play Quebec’s Festival D’Ete on July 14.

Joel Barrios
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