Denis D'Amour
Denis "Piggy" D'Amour was a Canadian guitarist. He was a member of the heavy metal band Voivod from its inception in 1982 until his death in 2005.
D'Amour's approach to music was anarchic and experimental rather than strict and theoretical. He was trained in classical violin as a child. He was influenced by progressive rock artists such as King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Rush.
Death
In the summer of 2005, D'Amour was diagnosed with colon cancer. Subsequently, a routine operation was scheduled though several complications led doctors to suspect further problems. The cancer had extensively progressed, rendering any operation non-viable.D'Amour slipped into a coma in the palliative care unit of a Montreal hospital on August 25, 2005, surrounded in his final hours by family and friends. He died the next day at approximately 11:45pm.
The documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, featuring an interview with D'Amour, was released on September 7, 2005.
Piggy's final recordings appear on two of Voivod's albums Katorz and Infini, released in 2006 and 2009 respectively.
Equipment
Guitars
- Ibanez Universe
- Gibson SG
- Gibson Les Paul Custom
- Liberatore custom made guitar
- F4c guitar
Amps
- Marshall JCM 800 Head 2203
- Marshall JCM 800 Head 2210
- Marshall Series 9000 Preamp
- Marshall Series 9100 Dual MonoBlock
Effects/pedals
Discography
Voivod albums:- War & Pain 1984
- Rrröööaaarrr 1986
- Killing Technology 1987
- Dimension Hatröss 1988
- Nothingface 1989
- Angel Rat 1991
- The Outer Limits 1993
- Negatron 1995
- Phobos 1998
- Kronik 1998
- Voivod Lives 2000
- Voivod 2003
- Katorz 2006
- Infini 2009
- *Note: According to interviews with the surviving members of Voivod, D'Amour's recordings from 2004 appear on both Katorz and Infini.