ERIC FORREST Says ‘It Was A Real Honor And Privilege’ To Play With VOIVOD Again: ‘One Of The Best Tours I’ve Ever Done In My Life’
Former VOIVOD frontman and current E-FORCE vocalist/bassist Eric Forrest has spoken about stepping back into the Canadian thrash metal band for their recently completed European tour, after founding singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger withdrew to deal with a family matter. Forrest, who left VOIVOD nearly 25 years ago, was approached with only around a week and a half's notice and said the invitation reportedly came at Bélanger's own suggestion, calling the experience an honour and describing the run as one of the best tours of his career.
Forrest, who featured on VOIVOD's 1995 album "Negatron" and 1997's "Phobos", told The Subversive Podcast that what began as an offer for a partial run of roughly 20 shows quickly expanded into the full tour after drummer Michel Langevin asked him to stay on throughout. He praised the professionalism of the tour, the chemistry with bandmates Langevin, Daniel Mongrain and Dominic Laroche, and the crowd reception to older material. The interview also touched on his health, seven months after Forrest, who lives in Toulouse, France, publicly revealed he was diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer in 2024; he said he is pursuing a metabolic treatment approach rather than chemotherapy or surgery and was determined not to turn down the tour despite ongoing medical issues.
In short
- Eric Forrest filled in for VOIVOD's Snake on their European tour.
- Snake stepped aside to deal with a family matter.
- Forrest called it one of his best tours despite ongoing prostate cancer treatment.
Explained simply
Voivod are a long-running Canadian thrash metal band, formed in the early 1980s, known for their unusual, technical sound and constantly shifting line-up over the decades. Eric Forrest was the band's vocalist and bassist through the 1990s, appearing on the albums "Negatron" and "Phobos", before leaving nearly 25 years ago; he has since fronted his own band, E-Force. Denis "Snake" Bélanger is Voivod's other main singer, who rejoined the band later and has fronted it for most of its recent history.
Bélanger stepped back from Voivod's latest European tour to attend to a family matter, leaving the band needing a replacement at short notice. Forrest was brought in to cover the dates, marking his first time performing with Voivod since his departure decades ago, alongside long-standing members Michel Langevin, Daniel Mongrain and Dominic Laroche.
The situation carries added weight because Forrest has been dealing with a serious health diagnosis, which has made his return to touring with his old band notable beyond the music itself.
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