Why didn't they hire a real artist? Was it a money saving idea? They look like something a 6th grader would draw.

It's interesting and they have a definite style and vibe... not everything has to be the same curated mass marketed shit.

I feel Away art is more like sketches because of how raw and primitive they look and clearly shows their lack of education in that department because he is self-taught but still sticking with the same technique, but I think their style fits very well with Voivod.

Since he was already sketching in the early days, it must have been a natural choice instead of paying someone else.

You can't tar all Aways with the same brush.

The recent album artworks (relatively unimaginative...) don't hold a candle to the first four or five album covers. If you criticise the recent stuff... fair enough.

But the old beasts from planet hell? Please... ! Show me a meaner illustration of postapocalyptic wargodmachinely interplanetary dimension-hopping psychoparasitic urgh!-ery! Just try to stare those early things down... They won't flinch. Instead, they'll crowd the dry ice fog effects in your dreams and steal your insect sandwich when nobody's looking!

Away's art is perfect for the music. His font is awesome too (has someone put it into a publicly available font yet?). real?

This one, but it's not free:

https://creativemarket.com/DorianG/1118 ... s%E2%80%99

Lol, I was coincidentally just talking the other day about how I don't like his art. The digital art is especially bad in my opinion. It's like he only knows how to draw two shapes: big round blobs with color gradients, and random scribbles or spiky shapes. For me it makes the music harder to take seriously - I'd expect a band with artwork like the cover of Target Earth to sound like outsider-ish bedroom black metal, not one of the world's most famous progressive metal bands.

I think they have art like that because they don't want people like OP listening to their music and they hope it'll keep 'em away lol.

I do prefer the more raw, detailed cyber-punked style of the earlier albums compared to the newer, almost CGI looking ones though. Just my personal taste. Nothing wrong with bands doing their own artwork.

The OP belongs in the Unpopular Metal Opinion thread.

Voivod wouldn't be Voivod with Ed Repka cover art.

Away fits my definition of a real artist. He might not be a trained visual artist, but he found a way to express himself and his band's concept through a unique recognizable style and worked his way with it. He's also behind the Voivod concept, band logos and one of the main contributors musically. What more does he need? I don't like every album cover he made, but the classics are great. I'd go as far as saying that Killing Technology has a perfect cover. One of the greats from that era. Colors, details, font, everything fits the music perfectly and I'm sure it got many people curious to hear what the content could sound like. More recently I liked the black and white drawings like the one from Post Society.

They could have tried something else for a few albums. Or they could go with the flow and hire Eliran Kantor. But it's cool they keep the same vibe, they do their own thing and keep a DIY attitude. What do we care at this point in their career

It's just sad that he went digital. Those 80s covers are some of the coolest metal album art around. But even the new stuff is better than reusing the same aesthetics that 95% of other metal bands use.

Voivod very much have their own image, and Away's art is a critical factor within that image. As other's have pointed out, it wouldn't be the same with Ed Repka, Rodney Matthews, Melvyn Grant or Mike Whelan among others.

BUILD YOUR WEAPONS!!!

Away is a serious contender for best demo tape illustrator ever, and his best work on their early LPs (fucking Rrröööaaarrr!) also captures that style. I do enjoy a fair bit of his recent work as well - The Wake has a really cool cover, and I like his black-and-white sketchy material on stuff like Post Society or Synchro Anarchy - but I think it's fair to say Target Earth or the new Morgoth Tales covers aren't entirely up to snuff. They still have a distinct aesthetic going for them and the ideas are there, they just look like they needed a little more time in the oven.

This. I can't believe these two images were done by the same person:

Voivod's early work has this very DIY, anarcho-punk mixed with dystopian sci-fi vibe to them, and I love everything about it. Even on Synchro Anarchy you have that vibe to.

Like many others in here, I prefer the handmade stuff over the digital stuff. Away is clearly better at the handmade stuff.

However, even the digital stuff have a certain charm to them, because even if they are not as good, they retain a DIY aura that really defines Voivod and makes their work truly unique and theirs.

The first few album arts were perfect for their sound. Even before I heard those albums, I wanted to listen simply because of the artwork. Very of-the-time but well-done dark punk/sci-fi that drew you in.

Can't say I'm a fan of the new ones at all. Just makes me think of MS Paint. They all look amateurish as fuck, or if that's a little too harsh then they could obviously be doing far better.

I see people mentioning well-known cover artists and acting like it's either Away doing it or them with no room in between, but to me, that's dumb. As if Away is the only one capable of doing it. Well, he's doing it and it isn't good anymore. This isn't even a new thing, since I'm not a fan of Negatron's artwork, either. Looks like ass, just not in the same way.

Morgoth Tales definitely sucks, but a half-arsed effort is kind of appropriate for a re-recording.

The artwork for the classic LPs is brilliant. An essential part of the Voivod package.

What bothers me about Voivod's art is how they constantly change the logo. There are a lot of bands that change up their logo all the time, Nunslaughter or Sabbat (JPN) for instance are always changing it up and its really cool. Voivod on the other hand stuck with a very iconic logo for three records and then just decided they like Microsoft word fonts more for a couple decades. I'm glad they've reverted back to attempting a more metal stylized logo but that classic logo on Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology, and Dimension Hatröss is so good and I wish they'd use it more often.

Away's art is completely unique. You either love it or hate it. I love it and think it's an important part of Voivod's identity as well. Away is a great drummer, lyricist and painter, one of the greatest contemporary artists in Quebec who deserves much credit. In addition to this, he seems to be a really nice guy from my standpoint as a fan.

Wait, there are people who hate Away's art style? I didn't know that, always really dug his old, and recent work.

I like the cover to Angel Rat.

Not a big fan of Voivod, though.

I think their art is quite charming.

Voivod would not be the same without the aesthetic created through Away's art. They're very much intertwined and I fucking love that about the band.

Check out the new music video for 'Morgöth Tales'! Morgöth is AI?!!? This is wild. My. Brain. Hurts.

So you know 6th graders who have mastered anarcho punk art enough to incorporate science-fiction elements in it seemlessly and with a very distinctive and unique style that is instantly recognizable as being the work of Michel Langevin?

Id hate to see what kind of crap OP is into, Voivod fucks

Not all of their album art is good, but most of it is good or straight up awesome, so I don't think it's the majority. Yeah, the latest album has some pretty amateurish looking art, looks like something from an obscure Amiga game (which has its charm in a weird way), but stuff like this is the exception, not the rule.

I think the DIY aesthetic works beautifully with "Rrröööaaarrr", adds a certain charm to the release and its silliness.

Go easy on him, that's the guy who thinks the "Pantera reunion" is the most amazing thing ever.

If you know a 6th grader who does art like Away does, I'd like to meet them!