Interview with Snake of Voivod: We have 10 to 12 re-recorded tracks for the 40th anniversary album!

19/02/2023 Video Interviews Share

Minions! We were honored to interview Mr. Snake of Voivod for the 3rd time! This time, we did it through the request of our most loyal patron, Amber Dawn (she is the biggest Voivod fan that I know)! Since we did the interview via Zoom, our time was limited to 40 minutes. But anyways, Snake and I had a blast!

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The interview starts with a question related to the new stuff coming from the Voivod universe. Snake revealed that the band is working on re-recorded songs off their classic albums, that will be released as a 40-year anniversary album - "Morgöth Tales":

“We have the 40th anniversary album which includes old songs that we revisited. And it was a really fun thing to do. It was like a time capsule…Going back in time…to revisit these old songs, especially one in particular which was first song we ever recorded, that was for Metal Massacre #5 on Metal Blade Record ("Condemned to the Gallows"), back in the day. Before our first album.” He also revealed that the new re-recorded album will have around 10 or 12 tracks: There are songs, mostly…not from each (classic) album, but mostly from RRROOOAAARR, Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross, Nothingface…We revisited one song from each. And it’s in a chronological order. So it’s very fun. It was fun to do. This should be out around July…How many songs? About 10 or 12 songs, I think. Snake also said that from RRROOOAAARRR they will re-record “Thrashing Rage“, “Killing Technology“ from Killing Technology etc. It was really like a time capsule. Going back and I’m trying to sing these songs like I used to. It was really fun to do!

Regarding the new, full-length studio album, Snake stated: I doubt it because we’ve been working in the studio quite a bit for Synchro Anarchy. It was pretty demanding. And we’ve been touring a lot this year. And we will be touring quite a bit this year too, so I don’t know if it’s just a matter of having the time to put ourselves into it. But we are a band that almost tries to put songs together on tour because otherwise, we would not be able to do it.

We also asked Snake about the new Voivod documentary. He said the following: Actually, Felipe Belalcazar is still putting up (the footage) together. I think he wants to take his time, for the better of it. And he might catch a little, and try to interview different people that he didn’t have the chance to do. So it’s a matter of circumstances, but he really wanted to reach some people there that could have the good input into the thing and hopefully, it’s gonna be pretty soon this year! It has to be this year, somehow…But I don’t want to put pressure on him. It will be great! Snake also commented on the DVOD 2 : Well it’s always on the plan…To tell you the truth. We didn’t have a lot of time to focus on it but I think that we are just putting a great footage together at this moment, and trying to make it really interesting for the fans. It's something that’s on our plan sheet.

We then moved on to Patreon questions. We had a couple of them from Petar Jonović (the guy corrects my terrible grammar) and Amber Dawn (the biggest Voivod fan that I know, and the most loyal supporter of our website!). But we won’t discuss them here in order not to abolish the surprise element xD.

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After that, we moved on to discuss The End of Dormancy lyrics and video: Well, that’s a video that really was demanding. Personally, I put a lot of energy in it. And we were a little bit, too much ambitious at the beginning and we had to cut on the effects, on everything… the budget...Because it was too complicated and to pricey to do what I wanted to do. But we managed to do it very close to everything that we had planned. So it wasn’t what it was at the beginning, but I don’t think that there’s any plan missing. Everything is there, the story…whatever. He then commented: Covid had put everybody in a weird situation I guess. Everything that is related with anything (the virus)...even gas mask...It was a weird timing I would say.

He then explained the concept of the video: It’s about fungus. A mushroom itself. And mushroom is fascinating how it’s almost like… The way it develops and connects…It can reach places…Their communication…It’s a cellular communication…It’s almost like a brain-connection. And it’s almost like a brain itself. And that was the thing about it. But of course, we put more science fiction into it – maybe the mushroom came from the outer space or something. He then talks about scientists and generals in the video: Yeah, it’s related to the Army because…While the story was like: we found something at the bottom of the sea...It has an impulse or something... Snake stated that the End of Dormancy video wasn’t inspired by the Ravenous Medicine video: Ravenous Medicine was really kind of related against animal slaughtering, the way we test all these cosmetics and stuff like that…lipsticks on that poor little rabbit or whatever…It’s already bad to…I am not vegetarian, but when you think about something…at one point, it won’t work. Snake also confirmed that the lyrics for End of Dormancy were inspired by the Philadelphia Experiment: A little bit. Philadelphia Experiment is something that’s almost too crazy to believe. It was one of those things that were fascinating...Anything that’s related to some sort of military experience or whatever...It’s always...It could be so many things! And there goes your imagination! What do they want? What were they trying to do? There have been. You know, to tell the truth, there’s a lot of things that they tested. Like crazy atomic bomb. Even though they didn’t know what it’s gonna do. It’s like: let’s try this! And the 50s, when they started to test the bombs. At one point, they didn’t know if the atmosphere will disappear. But they tested…They tested it anyway!

One of the best moments from the interview was Snake’s alien experience: I have experienced one sighting with my sister when I was 12 years old. It was really strange…It lasted like a few seconds…But me and my sister just didn’t comprehend what we’ve just witnessed. But it was not a helicopter. It was not a plane. It was something with lights that go through the forest like this. And we never knew what was the deal with that. But it freaks you out a little bit. We were driving in the car, and that thing was going in the same direction that we were going. In the middle of the night, in a forest. And imagination starts taking over, like: oh my god! They are waiting for us on the next turn! But I remember that we didn’t say a word to each other in the car for until we passed another car. And then we looked at each other: Did you see that!? Yeah, yeah, I saw that! It was like a moment of silence! I was completely...not moving. That’s really bizarre! I’m pretty sure…It would be…for me to say that they don’t exist or that there’s not something out there. For me, it’s unthinkable. When you look at the space. And even on our own planet. There’s a lot of things that don’t make any sense. Like all these temples built before….Now they are trying to remeasure the time frame of humanity because some of these constructions were older than the beginning of our societies. And they had the technology that blows everybody’s minds. Even today, we couldn’t build these structures…Cutting rocks with a laser. It’s impossible to do. The block the size of the house fits with another one…It’s unbelievable. On the top of the mountain where even that rock…You cannot find that there! That rock is from another place, it’s like: how? They were here before us, and afterwards, there will be something else.

After that, we discussed the lyrics of the song “Event Horizon“, and the difference between The Wake and Synchro Anarchy albums. Snake also shared one of the funniest Piggy stories I’ve heard so far: Piggy was one of a kind! There’s a lot of stories about Piggy. But I remember, at one point he had this thing in his head, hypophysis, prior to the cancer he had. (Around Dimension Hatross area). And that controlled….He was cured but certain pills that shrunk the gland, that gland controls your hormonal system. So he had to take a surplus of hormonal stuff. And then he changed a little bit. Especially when he had a few drinks. He was like: OMG! Running around, trying to find a girl. And he was doing crazy things! Sometimes he just went crazy! He was doing like…One night, he was running, wearing only his underwear in a hotel. And he was like putting all the newspaper. He stacked the newspaper in front of Michele’s room. Michele was hearing some noise and laughing and stuff like that. And he looked and saw Piggy with his leopard underwear, running in the corridor, and stacking these newspapers. And he looked again, and there was like a security guard, next to Piggy, and he had to put back the newspapers in front of each store, put it back where it was. He was quite funny. He was a fun guy. Snake added: In a certain way, we keep doing this band to honor him. To honor his music. To let people know more about Voivod and Piggy’s music. For us it was… I remember at the funeral, that’s what we said to each other: we should keep going to honor his music, to honor him. Because he was such one of a kind musician and innovator in a sense.

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00:00 Start

00:36 Re-Recordings album

04:46 New Voivod album

06:28 Voivod Documentary and DVOD 2

08:07 Patron questions – Petar Jonović

10:56 Patron Questions – Amber Dawn

17:16 End of Dormancy video

23:54 Alien Experience

27:52 Event Horizon

30:49 The Wake vs Synchro Anarchy

34:55 Piggy story

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