VOIVOD LIVES After 15 years of history and no less than nine studio albums, something was still missing in Voivod's eventful career: the band have long realized how difficult it is to convey the real energy of the band in a studio context. Apart from an obscure single (recorded live at the Roxy in L.A. in 1993) and four songs recorded in Berlin, 1995, that were finally released on the Kronik album in 1998 (which also featured three remixes by Foetus, DJ Acucrack and Haig Vatzbedian from Bran van 3000) they never had a chance to properly document their legendary live-performance and not only capture their intensity and their well-rounded set list, but also preserve such a show for future generations.

Being the thoughtful and forward-thinking band Voivod have been since their very beginning, the decision where to record the diverse tracks on Voivod Lives was not only based on the fact that both venues offered professional recording facilities, but also due to the legendary status of both the CBGB´s club and the Dynamo Open Air festival. Furthermore, the band wanted to show two very different aspects of a live situation: the first within the intimate and yet seedy environs of a tiny New York punk club, and the second outdoors in liberal Holland in front of thousands of happy festival-goers (opening for the godfathers of extreme metal, Venom, who had as much inspiration on the bands initial sound as early Motörhead.

Sure, the selection of the songs will be subject to discussion and argument amongst their fans, but each track on Voivod Lives was carefully chosen according to performance and to help display the undeniable diversity of Voivod's numerous albums. Unfortunately all of the tracks recorded during a show in Kraliky, Czech Republic (short before the dramatic car-crash in summer 1998), whose existence was spread via the Internet, were ruined by the bass-drum microphone overloading and leaking onto all other tracks. For their final track, they pay tribute to their all-time faves Venom by covering their classic tune "In League With Satan" which more than once has been the closing number to a successful Voivod performance, perfectly ending their set with everybody cheering and singing along. Is there a better way to bear witness to the uniqueness of this French-Canadian space metal institution?

Check out the official VOIVOD website

<<BACK TO ARTISTS PAGE