Voyager has this timeless quality about them. With these anthems that come at listeners like sonic battering rams, Perth’s Voyager tread an uncharted area where Prog and Math Metal live in harmony with New Wave. Yep, you read that right. Think Simon LeBon fronting Meshuggah.
On their sixth long player, Voyager set out to be even more grandiose and nothing is grander than opener “Colours” which starts with Danny Estrin’s keytar (And yes, you read THAT right too!) blanketing listeners with a magical synthetic air before the dual shreds of Scott Kay and Simone Dow add a heavy element to this sweeping anthem.
“Severomance” is epic with blistering guitars tearing it up in the background before bashing their way to the forefront as Estrin leads the way like a beacon in the dark with an angelic delivery and drummer Ashley Doodkorte forcefully bashes away on a song that’s a little reminiscent of Devin Townsend Project at their best.
“Brightstar” is gorgeous and so familiar of some forgotten hit from the ’80’s (Or a track White Lies would’ve included on one of their recent outings) with Doodkorte taking a lighter approach as this gentle pulse emits from the kit before opening up into a modern Prog classic.
Later on, “Saccharine Dream” is a slow burning monolith that highlights Alex Canion’s fancy bass work and shines on Estrin’s falsetto with these grand guitar solos that scream to the heavens. And if you’ve ever wondered what a duet between the aforementioned LeBon and Robert Smith would sound like then sink your teeth into “Entropy” which propels forth a sense of urgency amidst swirling keys as Estrin trades lines with Leprous’ Einar Solberg.
“Reconnected” is contained chaos as a flurry of riffs from Kay and Dow synch with Doodkorte’s vicious battering and Estrin’s keytar fingerings making for the most beautiful dichotomy of sounds. “Now or Never” is a straight up New Wave interlude that would sound at home on any Fantasy soundtrack from the ’80’s while “Water Over the Bridge”, in contrast, is a straight up metaller and easily a headbanger’s delight.
“Runaway” ends Voyager’s sixth full-length and is even more grandiose than the songs that came before, building into this huge chorus that glistens within an otherworldly plane of existence as the keytar returns for the most fantastic keytar solo you never knew you needed to hear.
Colours in the Sun is out through Season Of Mist on November 1st. You can pre-order yours now by clicking here. For more on Voyager, follow them on the socials by clicking here or here.