V
IAV Records/Bird’s Robe
In the present day and age, Australian heavy music never fails to impress. Legendary Perth outfit, Voyager, have been plying their world-class trade since the late ’90s, and this is their fifth album. Talk about a band with an absolute grasp of its craft – it’s like all of Voyager’s previous releases were leading up to this moment in time. The planets have aligned for Voyager on this record, and they have created their masterwork.
The songs are meticulously crafted pieces of melodic, progressive metal, set up beautifully by opener, Hyperventilating. The slightly more direct Breaking Down follows, then the magnificent A Beautiful Mistake, featuring the guest vocals of Zemyna Kuliukas.
An unbelievably strong opening, which in the hands of a less consistent band might have been a problem, may have been rather difficult to better. But not for these guys. The album fairly goes from strength to strength – driving verses cascade into sublime, uplifting choruses; beautifully constructed and delivered melodies abound.
International attention has certainly come their way with their previous few releases, but if there is any justice in the musical world, this should be the album that confirms Voyager as one of the premiere melodic/progressive heavy acts on the planet.
Rod Whitfield
