A packed Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on January 29 was the setting for the world premiere of Voïvod Symphonique, a madcap collaboration uniting the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal with Quebec’s legendary metal band.
Even before the doors opened, you could feel the excitement of this peregrination of metalheads, many of whom were waiting patiently in line in front of the traditional merchandise table. Rumor had it that some had traveled from as far away as Chile to attend this multi-sensory epic.
Officially part of the OSM’s pop concert series, this hybrid metal/classical formula could have been dicey in many ways. Fortunately, the orchestral introduction and the first notes of Experiment soon put an end to any doubts: an orchestral Voïvod works!
Voïvod’s songs, even in their rawest thrash metal, are brimming with harmonic nutrients, here brilliantly augmented by arranger Hugo Bégin. In this maximalist form, the band were able to showcase their compositions in all their cinematic power. It was a fitting tribute to the film soundtracks that have inspired Voïvod’s creative gesture from the outset.
Acoustically, the combination was quite successful. At the mixing desk, it must be said, we could count on Larry O’Malley, seasoned in eclectic projects, notably at the Festival de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville.
However, the orchestra sometimes got lost beneath the amplified quartet, becoming a background texture. That said, it wasn’t difficult to maintain attention on the ever-present string and brass arrangements. On the other hand, there was very little audible interaction between the drums and classical percussion, a slight disappointment. Was it a question of sound balance or arrangement? In any case, we’d have liked to see more exploration of the rhythmic potential of metal in the execution of classical percussion.
Nevertheless, it’s no mean feat to enjoy an orchestral metal concert without earplugs, and therefore without burning your hair cells.
The slower pieces, such as The End of Dormancy or the famous Pink Floyd cover Astronomy Domine, played at the close of the concert, gave the OSM all the space it needed to shine. During these breathless reprises, it was really possible to savor the detail of the arrangements, grandiose extrapolations that tastefully colored and filled the spectral space.
One of the most jubilant moments of the concert was undoubtedly the quotation from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in the piece Pre-Ignition, quoted verbatim in its original orchestral arrangement… Shiver-inducing!
What’s more, the visual environment of this program was not to be outdone. In addition to the electrifying presence of a metal band at the top of its form and an orchestra led by the intense, dynamic playing of Dina Gilbert, the audience could enjoy the gigantic projections created by Marcella Grimaux, who reinterpreted the artistic concepts of drummer Michel Langevin. These psychedelic animations, often post-apocalyptic, magnified Voïvod’s mythological universe in an unprecedented way. Each track had its own concept, aesthetic and animation style, reflecting the cult band’s discographic evolution.
In conclusion, Voïvod Symphonique is a resounding success. There couldn’t have been a better choice of band to explore the hidden, orchestral side of metal! It was clear that the audience was charmed by the impact of these two Quebec institutions on the same stage.
So many other Voïvod pieces would lend themselves perfectly to the exercise, we have every right to hope that this encounter will be repeated and last. Ode to metal, ode to classical, ode to the longevity of the Jonquière band, ode to the imagination of Michel Away Langevin and ode to the boundless creativity of the late Denis “Piggy” D’Amour: Voïvod Symphonique is all these things and more!
Photo Credit: Gabriel Fournier
