Things started slowly sliding downhill for them after, their next album being poorly received, 1991's Angel Rat. 'Grunge' was taking hold, with bands such as their former opening act, Soundgarden, enjoying a rise to stardom. Blacky left the band just before Angel Rat's release. 1993 saw the release of The Outer Limits album. Following the subsequent tour, Snake quit Voivod. The former Liquid Indian man, Eric "E-Force" Forrest replaced Blacky and Snake in one fell swoop on bass and lead vocals, and would stay with the band for two albums, 1995's Negatron and 1997's Phobos. 2000 saw an EP (Kronik) and live album (Lives), and in 2001 a car accident invalidated E-Force with a broken back. The group was put on hiatus, until eventually the decision was made to reform the band with Snake. Voivod fan Jason Newsted, fresh from Metallica, filled the vacant bass slot. This version of the band would go on to release 2003's self-titled album, Voivod.
Guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour sadly died on 25th August 2005 from colon cancer aged 45. After his diagnosis he spent the last 2 months of his life recording ideas & guitar parts for several albums worth of new songs. After his death the rest of the band completed work on Voivod's 14th album, Katorz, released in July 2006 and Infini in 2009.
By July 2010, Voivod had been writing and recording new music (including Dan Mongrain on guitar). On July 4, 2012, Voivod announced the title of their thirteenth studio album, Target Earth, which was released on January 22, 2013. Target Earth has a more progressive sound than some of their last few albums, and is a return to a more "classic" Voivod sound that can be heard on Dimension Hatross and Nothingface. All the music was written by Blacky and Chewy, while Snake focused on lyrics, and Away took care of the artwork.
On July 10, 2014, it was reported that Blacky had left Voivod again. It was announced that he was forced out of the band. For months he requested meetings regarding the band business and artistic affairs, but was denied such talks by one of the other members. In late January 2015 the band released the new single "We Are Connected" which is the lead track from the 7-inch split vinyl disc with the band At the Gates. It is the first music to feature new bassist Dominic "Rocky" Laroche. They also released a new, five-track EP, entitled Post Society, featuring two new tracks and a cover of Hawkwind's "Silver Machine", on February 26, 2016.
As early as February 2015, Voivod began work on their fourteenth studio album, which was to be released in 2016 but later pushed back to 2017. The band was expected to begin recording the album in August 2017. In June 2017, Langevin told Rock Sverige that the songwriting was almost completed with an estimated release for early 2018. He also said that the album would probably be a double-album on vinyl due to the songs being "really long and progressive", describing them as "seven or eight minutes long songs" and with it being a concept album as well. In November 2017, the Voivod members began recording another album, titled The Wake, which was released in September 2018. The master tapes for Voivod's MCA-era albums were long thought to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal Studios fire; this was later disputed by Blacky, who revealed in late 2019 that the master tapes for Nothingface, Angel Rat and The Outer Limits were located in a facility in Pennsylvania, after persistently questioning Universal staff, and claimed that they are now in his possession.
Voivod's fifteenth studio album, Synchro Anarchy, will be released on February 11, 2022.
Current members
Michel Langevin (Away) – drums (1982–present)
Denis Bélanger (Snake) – vocals (1982–1994, 2002–present)
Mongrain (Chewy) – guitar (2008–present)
Dominic Laroche (Rocky) – bass (2014–present)
Chaosmöngers
Voivod Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Against authority
Setting bombs anywhere
Terrorists everywhere
Phantoms execute
What must be their rules
Like a spy disappears
When the trouble is near
Prefer to get away
When people fall down
But they killed the wrong ones
Certainly out of touch
Opinion grows too much
Diplomatic outfits
To control all the risk
Searching for dissidents
Hyper assassins
Hit with simplicity
Big opportunity
The chaosmöngers
Prefer to get away
When people fall down
But they killed the wrong ones
I've gotta know
Who's living here
I've gotta go
Where I can live
Nothing bad happens
To the ones concerned
So if you're upset
Don't take my life to bet
They're gonna see
I'm not from here
No one is free
There's too much fear
During the Craven's war
Please don't ask for more
See what we passed by
A thousand crimes and lies
The social infection is here
Paranoia complication is near
The bluffer's corporation goes on
Another attempted murder
Breaks down
Cause, have strange echoes
Most, of your right goes
Same, same old story
Shame, ain't no glory
Straight, ahead from you
Blame, is waiting for you
Hate, all over you
Rage, against you too.
The song "Chaosmongers" by Voivod is a commentary on the chaos and violence brought about by individuals or groups who seek to overthrow authority and impose their own rules. The lyrics describe the tactics of these individuals, including setting bombs and carrying out assassinations, as well as their preference for avoiding direct confrontation and disappearing like phantoms. Despite their claims to be fighting for the greater good, they often end up causing harm to innocent people and spreading fear and paranoia throughout society.
The singer expresses a desire to escape from this violent world and find a place where he can live without fear. He rejects the idea that violence is a solution to society's problems, pointing out that it only leads to more chaos and suffering. The song ends on a note of warning, suggesting that those who engage in violence and chaos will ultimately face the consequences of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Direct strategy
A straightforward, aggressive approach
Against authority
In opposition to those in power
Setting bombs anywhere
Placing explosives without concern for innocent bystanders
Terrorists everywhere
Individuals committing acts of violence to instill fear
Phantoms execute
Unknown individuals carry out the violence
What must be their rules
What guidelines do these individuals follow?
Like a spy disappears
Vanishing without a trace, like a covert operative
When the trouble is near
Fleeing when the situation becomes precarious
The chaosmöngers
Those who seek to create chaos
Prefer to get away
Choose to escape when they sense danger
When people fall down
When casualties occur
But they killed the wrong ones
When those who were not the intended targets are harmed
Certainly out of touch
Fundamentally disconnected from reality
Opinion grows too much
Opinions become extreme
Diplomatic outfits
Entities with diplomatic immunity
To control all the risk
To manage all potential hazards
Searching for dissidents
Looking for those who dissent
Hyper assassins
Highly skilled murderers
Hit with simplicity
Executing with ease
Big opportunity
A chance to create destruction and disorder
I've gotta know
I need to learn
Who's living here
Who resides in this area
I've gotta go
I need to leave
Where I can live
To find a place where I can exist without fear
Nothing bad happens
Those in charge are not held accountable for their actions
To the ones concerned
The individuals affected by the violence
So if you're upset
If you are angered by what has transpired
Don't take my life to bet
Do not use my existence as a wager
They're gonna see
Others will realize
I'm not from here
I do not belong in this place
No one is free
Freedom is an illusion
There's too much fear
A pervasive sense of trepidation
During the Craven's war
At some point in time this took place
Please don't ask for more
There is no additional information available
See what we passed by
Observe what was neglected or ignored
A thousand crimes and lies
Countless offenses and deceptions
The social infection is here
A malaise affecting the society has arrived
Paranoia complication is near
An atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion is approaching
The bluffer's corporation goes on
The facade created by those in power continues
Another attempted murder
Another instance of a violent attack
Breaks down
Does not succeed
Cause, have strange echoes
An underlying cause has unusual reverberations
Most, of your right goes
Most of your rights are removed or ignored
Same, same old story
The narrative remains the same
Shame, ain't no glory
There is no honor in this shameful behavior
Straight, ahead from you
Coming directly towards you
Blame, is waiting for you
You will be held responsible
Hate, all over you
A pervasive sense of animosity towards you
Rage, against you too
There is a strong and intense anger directed towards you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shpadoinkle906
Piggy was a genius. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite Guitarists.
@edbirch7417
This is an amazing album. I think that it was so good that it went right over most fans heads at the time. I'll bet most voivod fans are musicians
@DEFKONSIXTYSIXlml
Thrash Metal evolution done right.. Ahead of its time.. Thrash revival needs to latch on to this
@econogate
Greatest metal record ever? 30 years ahead of it's time?
@belleepoque4597
Yeah. Heartily agree with this.
@timbuk1126
This Watchtower's Control and Resistance and Coroner's RIP
@TruthUnderFire
The intro is among the sickest ever created / composed.
@ACTUEL1
One of the crasyest song I ever heard in my life...
@ACTUEL1
sick !!
@reinhardhartung7084
Grandios, amazing music from Canada.... 666 🇨🇦❤️🎧👀🇦🇹🙋♀️🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼