Canadian prog metal icons Voivod have given their backing to a campaign to erect a monument to late guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, who died of cancer in 2005. The organisers hope to raise $100,000 CAD to erect the eight-foot aluminium sculpture in D'Amour's hometown of Saguenay, Quebec.
The campaign is being organised by Hugo Lachance – drummer for Saguenay band WD-40 – alongside artist Fred Laforge and music journalist Yanick Tremblay.
The design of the monument is made up of layers of aluminium, and anyone who donates $200 or more to the cause will have their names engraved on one of the layers. Anyone contributing $5000 or more will have their name engraved on a commemorative plaque erected near the final installation. A Kickstrarter project to fund the monument was launched last month, and has raised over $20,000 so far.
“I find it quite sci-fi," says Voivod drummer Michel “Away” Langevin. "At first glance, I found it amazing for sure! It’s quite amazing at a technical level to see how well it's modelled.”
"[D'Amour's] posture represents a kind of inner well-being that emanates from his music and that's exactly what I see," adds singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger.
To support the project further, the organisers have engaged a number of “ambassadors” from the world of metal to pay tributes to Piggy and to encourage fans to contribute. The ambassadors include members of Sepultura, Mastodon, Napalm Death, Darkthrone, Enslaved, Arch Enemy and Kreator. Each of the ambassadors have contributed video messages, which are being released on the Piggy Monument Facebook page.
The campaign closes on July 14.
