Canadian progressive metal pioneers VOIVOD have announced the first leg of their next U.S. tour, starting in February 2016, with support from VEKTOR and EIGHT BELLS.Comments VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin: "VOIVOD are excited to follow up the success of the NAPALM DEATH tour of USA last winter with a new tour with VEKTOR and EIGHT BELLS as support. This will be part one of a two-leg tour, West coast dates will be mid-2016".The dates are as follows:Feb. 06 - Providence, RI - Fete BallroomFeb. 07 - New York, NY - Gramercy TheatreFeb. 08 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Neck TieFeb. 09 - Morgantown, WV - MainstageFeb. 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Altar BarFeb. 11 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone PonyFeb. 12 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon ClubFeb. 13 - Washington, DC - Black CatFeb. 14 - Richmond, VA - Strange MatterFeb. 16 - Raleigh, NC - KingsFeb. 18 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood TheatreFeb. 19 - Sanford, FL - West End Trading Co.Feb. 20 - Ybor City, FL - The OrpheumFeb. 21 - Atlanta, GA - MasqueradeFeb. 22 - Knoxville, TN - The ConcourseFeb. 24 - Chicago, IL - The Abbey PubFeb. 25 - Cudahy, WI - The Metal GrillFeb. 26 - St Paul, MN - The AmsterdamFeb. 27 - Omaha, NE - Waiting RoomFeb. 28 - St. Louis, MO - FirebirdMar. 03 - Ferndale, MI - The Loving TouchVOIVOD is currently touring Europe until the end of November as part of the heavyweight "Deathcrusher 2015" tour alongside CARCASS, OBITUARY, NAPALM DEATH and HEROD.To coincide with the "Deathcrusher" tour, VOIVOD has just released a split seven-inch EP with NAPALM DEATH featuring the new VOIVOD track "Forever Mountain" as well as NAPALM DEATH's exclusive track "Phonetics For The Stupefied". This special vinyl-only release, which follows up VOIVOD's split seven-inch EP with AT THE GATES from earlier this year, is limited to 2,500 copies in the following versions/colors:* Black: 1200 copies (CM Distro Europe / USA)* Solid White: 300 copies (CM Mailorder USA)* Transparent Red: 700 copies (CM USA)* Neon Yellow: 300 copies (only available from the bands at the "Deathcrusher" tour)The split seven-inch comes with classy artwork (both bands have an A side with own artwork) created by VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and can be ordered here.VOIVOD's latest album, "Target Earth", as released in January 2013 via VOIVOD's own company, Iron Gang Factory, and Century Media.Speaking about VOIVOD's split with bassist Jean-Yves Thériault (a.k.a. Blacky) and addition of Dominic "Rocky" Laroche, the band's drummer, Michel "Away" Langevin (a.k.a. Away), told Thrash Eaters: "Last year, Blacky didn't agree on how the band should be managed and all that, so we parted ways. And we didn't want the situation to be complicated. I mean, we could have phoned back Jason [Newsted, former METALLICA and VOIVOD bassist] and all that, but that's complicated; it's another set of issues. And we wanted to be able to give each other a call and say, 'Let's jam,' and go to the rehearsal space. So that's what [VOIVOD guitarist guitarist Daniel 'Chewy' Mongrain] told me. He said, 'I know somebody, and I'm sure, sure, sure, sure, sure he can do it.' And I'm, like, 'Great! Let's jam.' And that was it."Regarding VOIVOD's recent return to the studio, Mongrain said: "'We Are Connected' [which was released on a single earlier in the year] was the first song we composed all together, as this new lineup. And we went another time for a second song. It's not out yet. So each time we go at the same studio, and each time we get better at how to manage the studio and, as a team, how to work together. So it's getting better and better each time. And we have more songs to come in the writing process, and we're gonna go back to the studio and record some more. So it's pretty exciting to write again."On the topic of VOIVOD's songwriting process following the passing of the band's original guitarist, Denis D'Amour (a.k.a. Piggy), Mongrain said: "I was really happy that people would accept me as part of VOIVOD. But it's kind of a mission to respect the vocabulary, the sound, the core of the music of VOIVOD. I mean, when we arrive with some riffs that sound in the spirit of VOIVOD and Michel starts to play a drum beat and Snake [Denis Belanger] comes with a beautiful line, it becomes VOIVOD right away. There's no way it's not a VOIVOD song, as soon as we jam together and improvise. The communication is there, so it's pretty easy, I think. It's a lot of work, though. But it becomes VOIVOD pretty fast."
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