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)
RISE
Voivod Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Neuro-perfect
Lies sleeping in death
Nether darkness underground
Scared silence
Not a sound
Demok
Meta-control
Radiation from the sky
Activation
Second life
Now see the new light rise
Anark returns to earth
Out into the world
Restoration over all
Nether darkness as before
Now see the new light rise
Now see the new night rise
Must overcloud
Dark like before
The lyrics to Voivod's song "Rise" can be interpreted as an apocalyptic tale of a world that has been destroyed by war and corruption, and is now being rebuilt through the merging of technology and nature. The first verse references "Anark" and "Neuro-perfect," which could represent a dystopian society obsessed with control and perfection. However, this society has met its demise, as "Anark lies sleeping in death" and "Nether darkness [is] underground." The second verse introduces "Demok" and "Meta-control," which could signify a new, more balanced society. The signal that goes out and activates "second life" could represent a newfound hope or a technological advancement that brings the world out of its dark state. The chorus repeats the phrase "Now see the new light rise," which could be interpreted as a rallying cry for humanity to embrace this new beginning.
The third verse introduces the figure of "Anark" once again, but this time as someone who has returned to earth. The lyrics suggest that with the rebuilding of society comes a restoration "over all" and a "new light" that rises. However, the final line of the song, "Must overcloud, dark like before," suggests that there could still be obstacles to this new world order. The idea of a cyclic history, where periods of peace and growth are always followed by decline and darkness, is a common theme in post-apocalyptic literature and could be what Voivod is hinting at in this song.
Line by Line Meaning
Anark
Referring to anarchy or rebellion
Neuro-perfect
Suggesting a flawless system of control
Lies sleeping in death
The perfect control or order has caused a state of dormancy or death
Nether darkness underground
A deep, dark abyss or realm beneath the surface of the world
Scared silence
Eerie and unnerving silence
Not a sound
Absolute absence of any noise
Demok
Referring to democracy or a system of governance
Meta-control
A superior and overreaching system of control
Out goes the signal
A message or communication is sent out
Radiation from the sky
Potentially destructive energy or power from the heavens
Activation
The beginning of a process or state
Second life
A second chance or rebirth
Now see the new light rise
A new hope or opportunity arises
Anark returns to earth
The concept of anarchy or rebellion resurfaces
Out into the world
Spreading and encompassing everything in existence
Restoration over all
A return to a previous state of being or order
Nether darkness as before
Returning to a dark and unknown realm
Now see the new night rise
A sense of uncertainty and potentially negative change
Must overcloud
Something ominous and foreboding approaching
Dark like before
Returning to a state of darkness or the unknown
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LYDON, BILL O. LASWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MrFluffyChair
Voivod's - Rise
Anark
Neuro-perfect
Lies sleeping in death
Nether darkness underground
Scared silence
Not a sound
Demok
Meta-control
Out goes the signal
Radiation from the sky
Activation
Second life
Now see the new light rise
Anark returns to earth
Out into the world
Restoration over all
Nether darkness as before
Now see the new light rise
Now see the new night rise
Must overcloud
Dark like before...
Matthew Serros
Awesome 🤘🤘🤘🤘
quick ben
Heard this album as a kid and it got me into playing drums. Away is a great drummer!
Eric Steinbach
Saw them during the trio era. Great Show! Sill amazing! This is my favorite album from that era.
MrFluffyChair
Voivod's - Rise
Anark
Neuro-perfect
Lies sleeping in death
Nether darkness underground
Scared silence
Not a sound
Demok
Meta-control
Out goes the signal
Radiation from the sky
Activation
Second life
Now see the new light rise
Anark returns to earth
Out into the world
Restoration over all
Nether darkness as before
Now see the new light rise
Now see the new night rise
Must overcloud
Dark like before...
Marcos Felipe
O melhor trabalho artístico de todos os tempos.
sea1069
thanks to my dad i recently discovered this wonderful band, it's a shame that they're not very famous...
wade sprynczynatyk
Nice 👍
Brünndenberg
Epic
conquistador73
❣️
AliothSenator
"Similar to Megadeth, Soundgarden, and Watchtower."
Sure.