VOIVOD’s Sci-Fi Movie Ambition Lives On as They Collaborate with a Symphony

VOIVOD still wants to do a sci-fi movie, a long-time goal for the band. In a recent interview with Bilal Butt on CHOM 97.7, guitarist Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain said it’s still a creative goal. “It would be very cool in the most challenging way,” he said, to be able to write music for a script and visual storytelling. But they’re still waiting for the opportunity to do it.

In the meantime, the band is working on a special project with the Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal for January 29 and 30, 2025, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Montreal. The shows will be VOIVOD’s progressive metal with a full orchestra, a first for the band. Drummer Michel “Away” Langevin explained how this all came about. “It started with an interview for a street magazine and ended with an offer from the orchestra’s team,” he said.

The orchestral arrangements were done with Hugo Bégin, who adapted Chewy’s guitar and bass parts into full orchestral scores. According to Chewy, the arrangements are inspired by film scores like Mad Max and Ben-Hur so it will be VOIVOD’s style integrated with symphonic music. The visuals will be provided by Noisy Head, a production company that’s worked with Lizzo and The Chemical Brothers, so it will be an immersive and visually stunning show.

Besides the shows, VOIVOD recently premiered their documentary “We Are Connected” at the Fantasia International Film Festival. Directed by Felipe Belalcázar, the film covers the band’s 40 years, from their early days in Quebec to becoming one of the most influential metal bands of their time. The documentary also talks about co-founder Dennis “Piggy” D’Amour, who passed away in 2005, and how it changed the band.

On the music side, VOIVOD’s latest album “Morgöth Tales” is a mix of re-recorded classics and new material to celebrate their discography. This follows the success of “Synchro Anarchy”, which won the 2023 Juno Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Album and solidified their position as innovators of the genre.

VOIVOD is still pushing the limits, from sci-fi movies to metal and orchestral music. We’ll see if they’ll score a sci-fi movie one day, but for now, their projects show they’re versatile and want to keep their legacy growing.

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