As much as I’d love to relent on my hate towards bands and albums that didn’t quite turn out as I wished them to, I thought I’d rather give it a break before I got carried away (’cause believe me, there’s a lot more coming) and focus on something I do like instead.
So what about what’s actually been my greatest own discovery in the past few months? Given I won’t be able to do them justice, due to my well-known lack of any musical background whatsoever (and boring writing style), let’s try and explain why they caught me so off-guard and kept me listening through their whole discography.
Just to keep it weird, I’d like to start off from their latest album to date, I am the Revolution. The band’s name is Voyager, by the way. I assume it’s likely whoever heard one of their records (they’re three to date) also went on to listen to the others – to those I have nothing to say, as you already know what Voyager‘s about. Whether you like them or not is the rather well known, abused and infamous “matter of taste”. Or not really: taste ain’t random, atleast to a certain extent. So for instance, there’s a big chance you’ll like them if you usually enjoy melodic power metal with strong melodies, exceptionally well sung lyrics, catchy but never too expected melodic lines and choruses, and an overall dedicated musicianship able to convey a fair amount of emotion without trespassing the border of cheesiness.
Easy as it is, I can’t help comparing them to another Australian melodic metal band I got to know before them, Vanishing Point. The name might ring more than a bell to many of you (and by the way, I reviewed their best and latest album to date right on this blog quite some time ago); but I have to add Voyager is actually better. Some would even say I am the Revolution, being their latest and naturally most mature record, brings their talents to sort of a natural completion. It could be; it’s undeniable the already excellent whole mixing and production thing reaches (or manages to mantain) a stunning level. Needless to say, the melodic sort, of all sub-genres of heavy metal, benefits the most from such an attentive polishing; that’s exactly also the case with I am the Revolution.
Still, I wouldn’t call it their best work; I personally like their first album better. That said, I am the Revolution still is a very enjoyable piece of good melodic metal which is definitely worth listening to. Voyager manages to stay on the same quality levels as before, yet taking a slight turn towards what to me seems to be simpler melodies and easier to catch tunes. It’s no coincidence their first two videoclips ever were Lost and The Devil in Me, the two most listener-friendly tunes of the album.
The feeling of the whole record never goes very far from that of those two songs; and it’s no bad thing really. We’re still dealing with some good old (or should I say, modern?) heavy metal here, melodic as you will, but still. The approach throughout the whole tracklist is rather song-oriented, the song structure itself is pretty classical, with no great exceptions or deviations. It all flows pretty smooth, and if a distinction is to be made, I’d say the heavier and a bit more “metallic” feel to the very first songs gives gradually and naturally way to a more relaxed, calmer and softer one as we near the end, culminating in the almost oniric closing title track, which stands out for its sleepy repetitiveness (to be held apart from “boring”, which doesn’t apply at all here). After listening to it once, you’re already left with the feeling it all flows in the right direction – and further listenings will confirm that impression.
To me, that’s already a nice feat. I am the Revolution will well keep you attentive, never bore you, and will manage that without any impressive highlights or something. When music flows so good, who needs those anyway? And if I had to point out one single album feature that does stand out, I’d say it makes an awfully good introduction to the band’s style and former (and hopefully also upcoming) work.
THUS SPAKE THE CENNSOR: In short: darn good stuff for fans of Vanishing Point and the likes, still very good for generic fans of melodic metal, and i daresay also something fans of the heavier AOR won’t regret lending an ear to. 7/10
