2026 Anniversary Series 083: Voivod – Katorz

Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 25th July 2006 Metal albums have proven, time and time again, that magic can rise from the ashes of tragedy and so it was in 2006 with Canadian technical thrash icons Voivod and their eleventh record (for a thrash band to hit that in 06 is a crazy achievement) ‘Katorz’. With guitar and bass tracks written and recorded by Denis ‘Piggy’ D’Amour alongside Jason Newsted in Newsted’s studio before Piggy sadly was claimed by colon cancer in 2005, it seemed the right thing to celebrate one of thrash’s most important guitarists by recording the vocals and drums over it and releasing it in his memory. ‘Katorz’ felt like it was to be an epitaph record, but in reality it became more of a celebration of Piggy’s remarkable career and the foundation of Voivod for two decades to come. There isn’t anyone who could really have been against the creation of ‘Katorz’, such is the nature of the metal scene and our desire for beauty to rise from tragedy. But I don’t…