𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 10, 1984 — Voivod released their debut studio album, War and Pain via Metal Blade Records. (Apple Music or Spotify)
Background:
Voivod was formed in 1982 in Jonquière, Quebec. Influenced equally by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, the burgeoning Hardcore Punk scene and 1970s Progressive Rock, Voivod forged a distinctive brand of heavy music that often relied on lyrical themes such as Reagan-era Cold War politics, post-apocalyptic literature and science fiction.
Voivod recorded their debut release, War and Pain at Le Terroir Studio in Laterrière, Québec between June 19–27 in 1984.
It was produced by Brian Slagel & Voivod. According to a 1986 TV interview with the band, it sold over 40,000 copies within 2 years of its release.
The band filmed a music video for the song Voivod (Watch video). It was directed by André “Dédé” Fortin in 1985.
In a 1985 interview by Glenn Salter for Metal Assualt Fanzine, the band were asked about how they felt about the success of War and Pain, Piggy responded;
"𝚆𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚜𝚏𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚆𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚕𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛.
Glenn Salter asked if the band considered Voivod a Black Metal band or a Power Metal band, and Piggy responded;
"𝙸 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚟𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝙿𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚋𝚊𝚗𝚍. 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚅𝚘𝚒𝚟𝚘𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊 𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚒𝚌 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝, 𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚒𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚠𝚎 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝙱𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕. 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚗𝚊𝚔𝚎’𝚜 𝚟𝚘𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚅𝚎𝚗𝚘𝚖 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚜𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚘𝚍𝚎.“
This isn't the first time that a Thrash band from this era were deemed "𝙿𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕". At the time, the term "𝙿𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛 𝙼𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕" had been associated with a completely different sub-genre of Metal as it is today.
Salter also asked if each member had a particular fa o rite fromWar and Pain and this is what they said;
“𝚆𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚗”. — Piggy
“𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚛”. — Blacky
“𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙸𝚌𝚎”. — Away
“𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝙸𝚌𝚎”. — Snake
Reissues:
War and Pain was reissued several times in CD format (sometimes on different labels in other countries): in 1990 on Enigma; remastered by Metal Blade and reissued in 1994; it was also released in Roadrunner Records' Pricekillers series (also 1990); and again by Metal Blade in 2004 as a remastered 3-CD boxset 20th Anniversary Edition.
NotIce: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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