VOIVOD frontman Denis "Snake" Bélanger is sitting out the band's ongoing summer 2026 European tour to attend to a family matter, with former VOIVOD and current E-FORCE vocalist/bassist Eric Forrest stepping in as his temporary replacement. Forrest played his fourth show since taking over on July 14 at Analog Music Hall in Budapest, Hungary, delivering a 12-song set that closed with a Pink Floyd cover.
The Canadian thrash and progressive metal pioneers are roughly a week into the trek, which runs from July 10 through August 16 across Europe. In a statement, the band said it "unanimously agreed that family matters most," adding: "The show will go on and the Cosmic VOIVOD Multiverse keeps expanding." Bélanger's partner, Christine McDonald, is battling stage four colorectal cancer, and a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover medical costs.
Forrest, who first sang and played bass for VOIVOD from 1994 to 2000 — appearing on albums including "Negatron" and "Phobos" — called the return an honor. "I am honored and blessed to be asked to fill in for Snake this summer, to keep the VOIVOD fans, band, legacy in motion!!" he said. Notably, Forrest is managing his own health situation, having disclosed a stage three prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024.
The temporary lineup swap marks a rare full-circle moment for VOIVOD, reuniting Forrest with guitarist Dan "Chewy" Mongrain, bassist Rocky and drummer Michel "Away" Langevin for a stretch of shows a quarter-century after his original run with the band ended. Forrest has stayed active within the VOIVOD universe through E-FORCE, which is currently finishing a new album, "Voivod Revisited," featuring re-recorded material from the band's "Negatron" and "Phobos" eras.
Formed in Jonquière, Quebec in 1982, VOIVOD helped pioneer the fusion of thrash metal with progressive and avant-garde songwriting across a discography spanning more than four decades, influencing generations of extreme and experimental metal acts. With Bélanger's return expected once the tour concludes or family circumstances allow, the band's European dates continue as scheduled, with Forrest carrying the frontman role for the tour's immediate future.