10 Most Underrated Heavy Metal Guitarists
6. Denis D’Amour - Voivod
On August 26th 2006, Denis "Piggy" D'Amour died of colon cancer at the age of just 45.
D'Amour had been one of the founding members of Voivod in the early 1980s, joining up with singer Denis "Snake" Bélanger and drummer Michel "Away" Langevin.
Clearly Michel didn't get the memo about animal-themed nicknames.
The group's members shifted a lot over the years (Metallica's Jason Newstead was a member for a time) but D'Amour always stayed loyal. Thank goodness he did, because his insanely fast playing style is what helped Voivod gain popularity.
Though he grew up a fan of prog, the guitarist would take to the thrash metal craze with ease. He was a machine with a guitar in his hands, hammering out notes as rapidly as the best of them.
As the band's style changed over the years, so did Piggy's. He was never afraid to try new things, always trying to figure out where to take the project next.
He left behind so much recorded material that the band were able to use it for two new albums after his death.
Talented, hard-working, and fiendishly intelligent, Denis D'Amour is still sorely missed by the metal community.