Former Voivod bassist Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault has issued a new press release claiming that his ex-bandmates/manager were cheating him out royalties he was owed for albums he wrote and recorded on. He went on to say that the U.K. branch of BMG have told him that he will be receiving $16,000 CAD, which he was owed for various re-releases. You can read the full statement below.

Press Release:

“Jean-Yves ‘Blacky’ Thériault, ex-bassist and co-founder of metal band Voïvod, have recently been informed by England-based disk company BMG that a sum of 16 000 $ CA which have been intentionally hidden for many years by actual drummer Michel ‘Away’ Langevin and manager James Maclean from Talk’s Cheap Management and AMG Toronto will retrospectively be reimbursed to him. The news have been received with a sense that justice has been done.

Thériault’s own investigation have conducted to the evidence that, following BMG official announcement about a forthcoming re-release, a payment of several thousand dollars was missing. In 2007, Away and Maclean received 7 000 pounds (approximately 14 000 $ CA) in advance for the re-release of three classical 1980’s Voïvod albums Thériault had composed with Denis ‘Piggy’ D’amour – Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology, Dimension Hätross.

However, when the band reformed a year later, in 2008, Away and Maclean kept Blacky in ignorance of the fact. His intuition that an advance might have had been paid by BMG to the band in order to prepare the re-release finally turned right. His scrutiny paying off, Blacky comments: “What they did is fraud, as simple as that!”. But this was not the end of his misfortunes with his former band.

After a forced departure from Voïvod in 2014, he also discovered that 50 % of his copyright on the acclaimed 2013 album Target Earth he has largely composed had been fraudulently diverted by Away and Maclean into a setup rights management company without any prior consent on his part, an act of misguidance, false representation, and fraud violating the Copyright Act, stresses Thériault.

Voïvod’s ex-bassist have tried to get his hands on other due royalties from both his former band and disk companies involved. “These are my copyright! I will keep on battling until I get every penny they owe me”, Blacky comments. Away and Maclean had always refused to resolve the contentious situation until they have been informed of possible legal actions against them.

When still a member of the band, Thériault was kept out of the decision making process. He was also prevent to criticize its outcomes, a rather dubious position against Voïvod’s founder member and major composer. Important disagreements over management and lack of transparency had obscured his last years with his former band, forcing him out in 2014 as a result.

Questioned about whether Denis ‘Snake’ Bélanger and Christine D’amour, rights owner of former guitarist legacy, are aware of the repayment he have been granted with and which they should reclaim as well, Thériault says he unsuccessfully tried to contacting them on that matter during the last months. Unfortunately, none of them replied.

Greater details of the affair will be related in Camera Obscura: lights on Voïvod a forthcoming book (2019) revisiting Blacky’s years with the band. The author, Monica Emond, collaborating with Thériault on the musical project Cœur Atomique, bases her critical bio-essay on at-length interviews and exclusive material.”