Michel Langevin

Last updated

Michel Langevin
Michel Langevin 2018.jpg
Langevin in 2018
Background information
Birth nameMichel Langevin
Also known asAway
Born (1963-05-30) May 30, 1963 (age 60)
Jonquière, Quebec, Canada
Genres Heavy metal, progressive metal, thrash metal, progressive rock, speed metal
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
Instrument(s)Drums, accordion
Years active1982–present
Labels Metal Blade, Noise, MCA, Mausoleum, Hypnotic, Chophouse, The End
Member of Voivod

Michel "Away" Langevin (born May 30, 1963 [1] ) is a Canadian musician, best known as a founding member and drummer of heavy metal band Voivod. He has been a constant member of the band since its formation in 1982. Langevin is credited with the creation of the mythology of the post-apocalyptic vampire lord Voivod, about which the band originally coalesced, and is largely responsible for its continuing science fiction themes.

Langevin is also a graphic design artist. He has created all of Voivod's artwork, as well as the artwork for the Probot album. He is also credited with the design for Non Phixion's album cover artwork. He published an artbook called "Worlds Away: Voivod and The Art of Michel Langevin". [2]

Langevin has also cowritten songs for JG Thirlwell's Steroid Maximus and drummed on Men Without Hats' Sideways (1991).

In 2005, less than six months before the death of Denis "Piggy" D'Amour (Voivod's guitarist), Away and Piggy recorded an album with Canadian artist Lucien Francoeur. [3] Vincent Peake of Groovy Aardvark and Joe Evil of Grimskunk were part of the project as well. The songs are a selection of "classic" Aut'Chose songs, a band fronted by Francoeur since 1974.

In 2007, Michel Langevin and fellow Canadian musicians Pat Gordon (Ghoulunatics), Marc Vaillancourt (B.A.R.F.) and Philippe Mius D'Entremont (Maruka) founded Les Ékorchés, an acoustic hardcore/thrash metal band. On February 27, 2007 their first album entitled Les Ékorchés was released. All of the tracks are in French.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voivod (band)</span> Canadian heavy metal band

Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault. The band has had numerous members changes throughout its 42-year career, with Langevin as the only consistent member. Their current line-up includes Langevin, Bélanger, Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitar) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass).

<i>Probot</i> 2004 studio album by Probot

Probot was a heavy metal side project of former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. Described by Grohl as "a death metal Supernatural", the album mixes instrumentals recorded by Grohl himself with various metal singers whom the musician admired. The album was released in February 2004 by Southern Lord Records. It featured one single entitled "Centuries of Sin"/"The Emerald Law".

<i>War and Pain</i> 1984 studio album by Voivod

War and Pain is the debut studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released in September 1984. According to a 1986 TV interview with the band, it sold over 40,000 copies within 2 years of its release.

<i>Rrröööaaarrr</i> 1986 studio album by Voivod

Rrröööaaarrr is the second studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released in 1986 on Noise Records. Estimated sales are more than 40,000 copies, worldwide. In a 2012 interview with Michael Dodd of Get Your Rock Out, vocalist Denis Bélanger stated that, while a thrash record, the album represents a progression from thrash sound of War and Pain to the more progressive metal elements that would feature on Killing Technology.

<i>Killing Technology</i> 1987 studio album by Voivod

Killing Technology is the third studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released in 1987 on Noise Records and was the first to combine elements of progressive rock in the band's thrash metal sound. According to interviews contemporary to the release of Killing Technology, by 1986 Voivod were more influenced by hardcore punk and crossover bands than by other metal bands, with only Kreator and Motörhead still appreciated by all band members. Estimated sales are more than 60,000 copies worldwide.

<i>Dimension Hatröss</i> 1988 studio album by Voivod

Dimension Hatröss is the fourth studio album by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released in 1988 on Noise Records and is a concept album which narrates the exploits of Voivod’s mascot cyborg Korgull. The cover concept and artwork was produced by drummer Michel Langevin. Estimated sales are more than 70,000 copies, worldwide.

<i>Nothingface</i> (Voivod album) 1989 studio album by Voivod

Nothingface is the fifth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was released by Mechanic/MCA Records on 1989. The album marked a change for the band, expanding their music into a more progressive rock/metal sound. Several riffs are heavily influenced by Igor Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring", specifically the centre section of "Pre-Ignition".

<i>Angel Rat</i> 1991 studio album by Voivod

Angel Rat is the sixth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. Produced by Terry Brown of Rush fame, it was released in 1991 by Mechanic/MCA Records and is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 1989 release Nothingface. On Angel Rat, Voivod adopted a more alternative metal sound compared to previous releases. A music video was made for the song "Clouds in My House".

<i>The Outer Limits</i> (album) 1993 studio album by Voivod

The Outer Limits is the seventh studio album released by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. It was issued via Mechanic/MCA Records in 1993. The album features a cover of "The Nile Song", originally by the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd, and Voivod's longest song "Jack Luminous", tracking in at 17 minutes and 26 seconds. When originally issued, the CD came with a miniature pair of 3D glasses in order to view the booklet art. The text in the upper right corner of the album cover reads "Number 8" to represent that it is actually the band's eighth album release overall following the compilation The Best of Voivod.

<i>Negatron</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Voivod

Negatron is the eighth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released on November 21, 1995 through Hypnotic Records worldwide and Mausoleum Records in the US. It is the first studio album not to feature original singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger, who temporarily left the band in 1994, with bass player Eric Forrest assuming vocal duties for the recording. The album also features Foetus frontman JG Thirlwell as a guest vocalist on the final track "D.N.A. ".

<i>Phobos</i> (album) 1997 studio album by Voivod

Phobos is the ninth studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. Released on Hypnotic Records in 1997, it is the second and last studio album to feature bassist and vocalist Eric Forrest.

<i>Kronik</i> (album) 1998 compilation album of remixes, studio and live recordings by Voivod

Kronik is a compilation album released by the Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod in 1998 on Hypnotic Records. It is their eleventh release altogether, featuring remixes, previously unreleased songs, and live recordings. The album features the track "Ion", which is played during the opening credits of the Heavy Metal 2000 movie. It was re-released in 2004 by Candlelight Records.

<i>Voivod</i> (album) 2003 studio album by Voivod

Voivod is the tenth studio album and thirteenth release overall by Canadian thrash metal/progressive metal band Voivod. It is the first since 1993's The Outer Limits to feature returning vocalist Denis Bélanger (Snake) and their first recording with bassist Jason Newsted (Jasonic), formerly of Metallica. It was released in 2003 on Newsted's Chophouse Records label. This is also the last album Voivod completed before guitarist Denis D'Amour (Piggy) died of colon cancer in 2005.

<i>Katorz</i> 2006 studio album by Voivod

Katorz is the eleventh studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released on July 25, 2006.

<i>Infini</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Voivod

Infini is the twelfth studio album and fifteenth release overall by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released on June 23, 2009. It is their last album to include contributions by their late original guitarist Piggy, who died nearly four years earlier, and their last to feature Jason Newsted on bass.

<i>Target Earth</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Voivod

Target Earth is the thirteenth studio album, and the sixteenth release overall, by the Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, which was released on January 22, 2013. This is the first Voivod studio album to feature Daniel Mongrain on guitar and the only one since 1991's Angel Rat with Jean-Yves Thériault on bass.

<i>Post Society</i> 2016 EP by Voivod

Post Society is an EP by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod released on February 26, 2016. It is the band's seventeenth release overall and the first studio release with Dominique Laroche on bass, replacing Jean-Yves Thériault.

<i>The Wake</i> (Voivod album) 2018 studio album by Voivod

The Wake is the fourteenth studio album, and eighteenth release overall, by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod. The album was released on September 21, 2018 through Century Media Records.

Aut'Chose is a Canadian garage rock group from Montreal, Quebec, first active in the 1970s.

<i>Synchro Anarchy</i> 2022 studio album by Voivod

Synchro Anarchy is the fifteenth studio album, and nineteenth release overall, by Canadian heavy metal band Voivod, released on February 11, 2022. Like its predecessor The Wake, this album was produced by Voivod and Francis Perron who also recorded and mixed it. The mastering was done by Maor Appelbaum and the artwork was designed by drummer Michel "Away" Langevin, who has created the cover artwork for each of the band's albums since their 1984 debut War and Pain. Synchro Anarchy also marks the first album by Voivod since 2009's Infini to have been recorded with the same lineup as the prior album.

References

  1. Read more about Voivod Archived February 3, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Worlds Away: Voivod & the Art Of Michel Langevin".
  3. "LUCIEN FRANCOEUR - AUT'CHOSE : Drive-in officiel".