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)
Silly Clones
Voivod Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pick up the icon
Made for you
Which one
Will look the best?
The transformation
Is in process
Everything
To reach eternity
100 percent restored
Biologic generator
In tubes
The liquid flows
The plasma
Feeds you by a hose
It's one new you indeed
But the results
Aren't guaranteed
In the valley
Of silly clones
Rebuilt people
To the bone
In the valley
Of silly clones
Where the people
Turn to stone
In the valley
Of silly clones
People made of
Styrofoam
In the valley
Of silly clones
Where the people
Die alone
The lyrics of Voivod's song "Silly Clones" seem to speak about the dangers of vanity and the consequences of seeking physical perfection or eternal youth through drastic means. The opening lines suggest someone is browsing through icons, perhaps in reference to selecting an ideal physical appearance. The transformation that follows seems to be a futuristic process that involves tubes and liquid flows, and while one is "100 percent restored," the results are far from being guaranteed. The chorus speaks of the "valley of silly clones," where people are "rebuilt" to resemble plastic or styrofoam and die alone.
The song may symbolize the consequences of modern technology and our obsession with youth and perfection. The process of being transformed into a new you may not guarantee happiness, love or connection. The clones seem to represent people who are so perfect on the outside, but there is something unhuman and shallow about them. The valley of silly clones is where these people end up dying alone, showing the futility of seeking eternal youth or trying to be something that we are not.
Line by Line Meaning
Go back to main menu
Start over and reconsider your decision to become a clone
Pick up the icon
Choose the characteristics you want to be part of your clone
Made for you
The clone will be designed specifically for you
Which one
Which version of yourself do you want to become?
Will look the best?
Which design will be the most attractive?
The transformation
The creation of the clone
Is in process
The process of creating the clone has already begun
Made out of vanity
The clone is created out of pure pride
Everything
All aspects of the clone are designed for perfection
To reach eternity
The clone is meant to last forever
100 percent restored
The cloned body is meant to be exactly like the original
Biologic generator
The mechanism that creates the clone
In tubes
The clone is incubated in tubes
The liquid flows
Chemicals are introduced into the tubes where the clone is being grown
The plasma
The fluid that feeds the clone during incubation
Feeds you by a hose
The clone is fed by artificial means
It's one new you indeed
The clone is a completely new version of you
But the results
The outcome of the cloning process
Aren't guaranteed
The risk of failure or unexpected outcomes exists
In the valley
The literal or metaphorical location where the clones exist
Of silly clones
The clones are created without much thought or consideration of the consequences
Rebuilt people
The clones are a new version of human beings
To the bone
The clones are exactly like human beings in every way
People made of
The clones are made of less-than-durable materials
Styrofoam
A soft, brittle material that signifies the fragility of the clone existence
Where the people
In the location where the clones are created and/or exist
Turn to stone
The clones are lifeless and lack the emotions and vitality of true human beings
Die alone
The clones are not capable of building relationships or experiencing connection with others, making for a lonely existence
Contributed by Samuel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
itkojecockot
I don't know how these guys write music, but I love how they sound so weird and avant-garde and yet, the music has great groove and overall vibe....... it just WORKS