AUTHOR’S NOTE: I conducted the following interview with Voivod’s Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain for the ill-fated Backlit zine back in 2013. I recently discovered that I still have access to the old Google drive for the zine and given that I was incredibly honored to interview one the greatest bands in the multiverse, it seemed like a damn shame to leave it to rot down in the vaults. Below is the interview exactly as it originally appeared in Backlit #1.
If there is one band that epitomizes what Backlit is all about, it is surely Voivod. The forward-thinking Quebecois quartet has been on the cutting edge of heavy music since day one, cranking out post-apocalyptic, punk-tinged thrash metal that often sounded like it was being beamed in directly from the far future. Unfortunately, Voivod’s future came to an abrupt, heart-breaking halt when guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour passed away due to cancer in 2005, but in a show of great bravery and resolve, the band decided to carry on, bringing veteran six-stringer Daniel Mongrain (Martyr, ex-Gorguts, ex-Capharnaum) into the fold. It isn’t every day that a musician gets to join his favorite band, but that’s exactly what happened when Mongrain was invited to play with Voivod; his enthusiasm and passion are downright infectious. I caught up with the guitarist via e-mail to grill him about Voivod’s scorching new album Target Earth, and what it’s like to write, record and tour with your boyhood heroes.
JH: First, tell us a little about how you came to join Voivod after Piggy’s passing. Were you at all nervous to be joining such a legendary band? Was it a difficult decision to join, given the circumstances?
Daniel Mongrain: Well, I met Blacky in 2002, we became good friends. I ran into Snake and Away a couple times. Went to Piggy’s memorial…In 2006, my band Martyr (Canada) covered “Brainscan” (from 1988’s Dimension Hatross) on Feeding the Abscess (2006). Then at some point in 2007, Blacky and I ended up playing a medley of Voivod for the 25th anniversary of metal in Montreal as a tribute to Piggy. His family was there, as well as Snake and Away. Later, I wrote to Away and told him that if at some point they would do something special with the Voivod entity, in any context, I would be very honored–as a fan–to play even a note or a song with them. Because I was a fan since I was 11-12 years old, I knew the repertoire…Couple of months later; I got a call from him asking me to join Voivod onstage for the biggest metal festival in Montreal (Heavy Mtl) featuring Iron Maiden and Motley Crue. It was supposed to be just that one show…Then we opened for Ozzy in Calgary and we went to Japan with Testament and Forbidden…It’s been 5 years now, and a new album
is about to be released…
I remember I didn’t know what to say over the phone…I felt very honored for being asked that task, very excited to play with my favorite band…I was speechless…I also recall, at the first rehearsal…I was pretty nervous, but pretty confident– I did my homework, you know. Then after the first song…Snake was all smiles and gave me a big hug…They made me feel very comfortable right away.
JH: Did you feel any pressure stepping into the role of guitarist for Voivod, given Piggy’s iconic status as a player and musical innovator?
DM: At first I was a little stressed, but I saw it as a challenge– I mean, I don’t see myself as stepping in anybody’s role, I can’t replace Piggy. He is unique as a person, musician, composer– all I can do is do my best to honor his music and put all of my energy into working with the band to create new stuff all together as a team. I’ve been a fan of this band since before I even played the guitar…Those guys were my first music teachers, so to speak…
Of course at first I was a little nervous, then everything fell into place naturally– nothing was forced, and I felt pretty confident that I could do the job right.
JH: Voivod is a very influential band, can you talk a little about the influence they had on you as a musician and a fan, prior to joining?
DM: For me, they established some rules– one is, you have to be unique and find your own way. You have to be authentic. Doesn’t matter where you’re from, you can make it happen. Doesn’t matter what people say about you, just do what you believe in. Musically, Voivod is my school of composition– I mean, I learned a lot from all the records, I’ve studied it meticulously, all the details.
They made me curious about music. I owe them my Bachelor Degree in Jazz Music because if it weren’t for them, I probably would never have gone to a university to study music or form a band at all…For me, they were the trigger for many important decisions in my life.
JH: What goals did you have for joining Voivod? What did you hope to get out of it and were there specific things you wanted to bring to the table that the band hadn’t had before?
DM: Never thought about that. I hope we can do this for years. As long as the guys are in for it, I’ll be there! I don’t have control on what’s next…I just let things go.
JH: You’re well known for your work in Martyr and with Gorguts. How do your previous experiences help shape what you’re doing now with Voivod?
DM: The question should be: “How did Voivod help you shape what you did with your previous bands?” Of course I’m an experienced musician, I played in over 70 different bands in all kinds of music in various contexts. I played in a musical, I played in blues, reggae, hip-hop, jazz, rock, tribute, cover bands, etc…In any kind of venue you can imagine. That helped a lot to be a better musician and a better human being. With that background, I was confident enough and mature enough as a musician and a person to be a part of Voivod. But I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.
JH: Let’s talk a little about the new album, Target Earth. What was it like writing and recording as a member of Voivod, compared to your experiences with other bands?
DM: Different persons, different dynamic, different band, different aesthetic. We didn’t write right away, we toured for 4 years before writing anything, so we knew each other a lot better– personally and musically. Then we improvised together, recorded it and some of the jams became embryos of songs. Then Blacky and I came up with ideas and riffs, we would trade files and record over each other’s ideas. We would sometimes write together and record a demo right away, or work alone and bring ideas to the jam space. Then Away and Snake would put their input and ideas in it, and we would arrange the songs and riffs together.
It came out very naturally and it was great teamwork! Everybody was involved a lot in the composition. I was very happy to experience that journey of creativity!
JH: Were there any specific challenges that arose during the creation of the new album and if so how did you overcome them?
DM: Doing it was a challenge in itself, in a good way. We were all very motivated and thrilled about it. We never really struggled with anything, some songs were written close to the deadline of entering the studio, lyrics also but…That’s pretty usual stuff.
JH: Is there a particular song or moment on Target Earth that stands out as your favorite and if so, what can you tell us about it?
DM: Hmm…That’s really hard to say…My fave one changes all the time…I really like “Mechanical Mind” because it’s very intricate and progressive. I like “Warchaic” for its dynamics and melodies. I love to play “Kluskap O’ Kom” live, I really like them all…We’re very proud of it!
JH: What are some of the themes being explored on Target Earth, musically and conceptually? How do they relate to previous Voivod albums, if at all?
DM: Well, it has this post-apocalyptic vibe, fear of hi-tech weaponry, insanity, pollution, people manifesting in the streets, conspiracy theory– a lot of topics seemed reminiscent of the early career of the band, but it’s quite actual right now! There is also a song about the first nations, inspired by the Mi’kmaqs in Canada. “Target Earth,” well, the earth could be a target for some aliens up there, but I guess we don’t need them to destroy our world because we’re pretty good at it ourselves! So “target” could also mean that Earth is our target to care for.
JH: Voivod has always been seen as a very forward-thinking or even “futuristic” band. What do you think it is about the band that makes it unique?
DM: The people in it. Every member’s imagination put together as a whole. The uniqueness of that energy makes a band unique.
JH: How has your perspective on what Voivod is changed, going from being a fan of the band to a full-fledged member?
DM: It didn’t really change. I was afraid it would change, but I get the same magical feeling now when I listen to a record or I play a song as when I was a kid…It’s even stronger now. I mean, a band is always greater than the individuals in it. At some point it belongs to space-time universe. It is in orbit.
JH: Will you be touring extensively in support of Target Earth? Do you enjoy playing live and touring? How does playing live with Voivod differ from your previous bands?
DM: We are definitely gonna tour everywhere we can! Can’t wait to go on the road again. We love meeting the fans, traveling, seeing new places, and going back to places we’ve been, meeting up with friends we made. Playing live is one of the greatest feelings, there’s nothing you can compare with that kind of feeling. I’m addicted to that. Playing music is my passion, playing with Voivod makes me feel like a kid in a candy store.
JH: Are there any final thoughts you’d like to add?
DM: Life is good!
THKD 