In a new interview with music writer Joel Gausten, Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin discusses the band's upcoming 14th album The Wake, the band's time with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted and some of the highlights of their nearly 36-year career. An excerpt from the chat appears below:

Joel: One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Voivod is that no two albums have ever really been the same. Do you go into a recording project with a general creative goal in terms of sound and direction, or is it a matter of this whole thing just naturally evolving year after year?

Away: "It’s really natural, actually. We never really sit down and try to overthink where we are heading towards, because we know that in the end, we’re going to be in some parallel universe anyway. We really want to write the music that we want we play, so sometimes it’s not in sync with what’s going on in the mainstream at all. Even if we sometimes try to do something more melodic, it’s still too weird for mainstream radio. We are resigned to really do what we want."

Joel: You just mentioned Voivod being “weird.” I think bands have a choice in their careers. They can either go strictly commercial or they can attempt to do something different. Obviously, Voivod have always followed that latter path, and you’ve been at this a very long time. What has been the key to sustaining this band all these years in an industry that isn’t always welcoming of output that doesn’t instantly appeal to the masses?

Away: "Sometimes, these are tough choices or crossroads where you really have to persevere. I think a key to longevity is probably to try to be original and unique. In the end, it really pays off. You get respect, and people show up at our shows. Especially lately, we’ve had a momentum, and we also sort of jumped into the classic thrash metal resurgence a few years ago. I think the key is really to be yourself. If you try to adapt to what’s going on, by the time you write the song and record it and it comes out, you’re already out of step and a bit late. If I would give any advice, it would to try to be yourself and also try to be unique. It pays in long run."

Joel: It has been 15 years since the self-titled album and the beginning of the Jason Newsted era of Voivod. Looking back now, how do you feel that era ultimately impacted the greater history of the band?

Away: "When Jason joined the band, it drew a lot of attention to us. It definitely helped us to get attention outside of the underground thrash metal media. When Jason joined Ozzy at the same time, all of a sudden we’re touring with Ozzy and doing the Ozzfest and all that. Jason really did help the band. From then on, it’s been steady in terms of media attention for Voivod. We had a lower profile in the ’90s at one point. Jason was such a warrior to have done that, because he was playing with us live, then he’d go to the dressing room and go back again on stage and play more than two hours with Ozzy for the whole summer of 2003. I’ve never seen anything like that. It was quite impressive and a lesson in perseverance for sure."

Read the complete interview here.

Voivod recently announced a release date of September 21st for their new studio album The Wake via Century Media Records worldwide. Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice interviewed drummer Michel (Away) Langevin at Heavy Montreal on July 29th. He spoke about the upcoming album, the origins of their band nicknames, the Jason Newsted-era of the band and working with famed Rush producer Terry Brown on their 1991 album Angel Rat.

Watch below:

Voivod recently launch The Wake by presenting its first single and video (directed and edited by Eric Massicotte and Pierre Duplessis) for the album’s opening track “Obsolete Beings“.

Check out the video below, or stream the song here.

The Wake, the successor to 2013’s Target Earth album as well as the 2016 mini-album Post Society, was recorded and mixed by Francis Perron at RadicArt Recording Studio in Canada. The album‘s artwork was once again created by Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin and can be seen below.

The album’s standard tracklisting is as follows:

"Obsolete Beings"
"The End Of Dormancy"
"Orb Confusion"
"Iconspiracy"
"Spherical Perspective"
"Event Horizon"
"Always Moving"
"Sonic Mycelium"

Next to a standard jewelcase CD edition and a digital album release, The Wake will also be available as limited 2CD Mediabook edition with a bonus disc of 11 tracks featuring the five songs off 2016’s Post Society EP as well six live tracks from 2018’s 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, alternate artwork, an expanded booklet of 32 pages and a set of three stickers.

This is the tracklisting for that edition’s bonus disc:

Post Society EP:
"Post Society"
"Forever Mountain"
"Fall"
"We Are Connected"
"Silver Machine"

Live at 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise 2018:
"Inner Combustion" (Live 2018)
"Order Of The Blackguards" (Live 2018)
"Psychic Vacuum" (Live 2018)
"Lost Machine" (Live 2018)
"Fall" (Live 2018)
"Voivod" (Live 2018)

The 2LP release of The Wake will come on 180gr. vinyl with an etching design on Side D, packaged in a gatefold sleeve and with a double-sided poster. Next to standard black vinyl, the album will also be available in the following limited coloured editions:

- Black 2LP: Unlimited
- Pink 2LP: 100x copies / CM Webshop Europe
- White 2LP: 200x copies / CM Webshop Europe
- Red 2LP: 300x copies / CM Distro Europe
- Silver 2LP: 200x copies / Nuclear Blast
- Golden 2LP: 200x copies / Season Of Mist
- Transp. sun yellow 2LP: 100x copies / CM Webshop USA

And last but not least, Voivod are also making a collectible 7” EP available on August 31st , for the beginning of their European touring activities and before the album’s street date. The 7” EP for the album track “Always Moving” will feature “Order Of The Blackguards (Live 2018)” as the B-Side and is limited to a total of 1,000 copies, available in the following editions:

- Black 7Inch: 500x copies / CM Distro Europe
- Lilac 7Inch: 100x copies / CM Webshop Europe
- Clear 7Inch: 200x copies / CM Distro Europe
- Transp. red 7Inch: 200x / Band edition on tour

The pre-sale for The Wake in its various physical and digital formats and also of the “Always Moving” 7” EP is starting as of today.

Check here for more details, or go via CM Distro here.

Find Voivod's tour itinerary here.