I tell you, the past couple weeks have been cursed with music-related deaths. I am sad to now report that Denis “Piggy” D’Amour from the great Canadian metal band, Voivod, has passed away. Here’s the story that was taken from blabbermouth.net.
VOIVOD Guitarist DENIS ‘PIGGY’ D’AMOUR Dead Of Colon Cancer – Aug. 27, 2005
VOIVOD guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour passed away Friday night (August 26) at approximately 11:45 p.m. due to complications from advanced colon cancer — so advanced that the disease had spread to his liver. D’Amour slipped into a coma Thursday night and died less than 24 hours later in the palliative care unit of a Montreal hospital, surrounded by family and friends. He was 45 years old.
Quebec City newspaper Le Soleil reported yesterday that D’Amour — who was diagnosed with colon cancer earlier in the summer — first entered the hospital for a routine operation, but several complications led his doctors to suspect more problems. Then the grim verdict was revealed: the cancer, already too advanced, was inoperable.
Only two months ago, D’Amour was in the studio working on the 14th album from the Canadian thrash-metal pioneers VOIVOD. More than two dozen tracks are believed to have been demoed for the CD, for which the group recently inked a deal with The End Records. However, the band were forced to put studio work on hold while bassist Jason Newsted (ex-METALLICA) was treated for tendonitis.
In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Newsted spoke about the material slated to appear on the group’s next CD. “It’s the most complete demos I’ve ever been involved in,” he said. “[VOIVOD singer] Snake has already chosen his effects — exact timing of milliseconds for delay. We’ve had a long time to develop the demos, so there’s about 23 or 25 songs that are absolutely listenable right now.”
Newsted was a huge fan of VOIVOD before he was invited to join and he remains a great admirer to this day. “They created something a long, long time ago that may have been emulated many, many times since — but nobody can do it like the original,” he offered.
Prior to his hospitalization, D’Amour laid down guitar tracks for a reunion CD from the legendary AUT’CHOSE, a ’70s band from Montreal. That album is expected to surface next summer.
Your confusing your audience, who, still, draw a line between punk and metal. Sssshhh, a little known secret, there are tons of metal records considered “third rate” by metal heads that sound almost exactly like KBD punk! Soon enough, they too, will be worth loads of dough!!
There are a lot of folk though who love metal and punk equally, I love ska and reggae as well, how confused does this make me ?
Sad news. I just put a couple Voivod cd’s back in rotation the other day too. Was listening to one this morning on the way to work in fact…
Dimension Hatross still gets regular rotation around here, it is such a great album.
Such a bad month. I too loved Dimension Hatross and Killing Technology. A great, unique guitar sound in the metal scene at the time.
Poor Piggy. Voivod have been one of my favorite bands for a looooong time. I love every single one of their albums, including “War and Pain” and “RRRROOOAAAARRRRR” (probably my favorite). Hard to believe so many are dropping these days. Cool that you mentioned him on this site, some people like all forms of heavy/underground music – Hardcore, Punk, Metal, Grind, whatever – despite what. I count myself in that group…
A couple of years ago I had the great opportunity to talk to Piggy 45 minutes long when Voivod played their Vienna-Concert.He was the coolest and most openminded Guy i ever met in the whole metal-scene!Voivod will never be the same without you Piggy!Black clouds on the horizon.
great thunder and burning rain- at the day you died.See ya on the other side brother->Greetz from the MMetallian(NOTI)
“Nothingface” was a big part of the soundtrack of the summer of 1990 for me and is one of only a handful of metal records in my collection. Denis was a great guitarist and Voivod an occasionally great band. I found myself craving a copy of “Angel Rat” recently, but couldn’t find a store that sold it. Bummer.
By the by, your writing has been really good lately. The write up about the Minutemen documentary and especially the thing about Bauhaus were a real pleasure to read. Keep it coming.
To a very wonderful, talented and original musician and above all human being!!!
May the Gods of Metal be with you forever!
We mourn!
Take care brother on your long jouney!
Paying Respects