Many heavy metal bands dabble in electronic and even dance music ingredients, but Australia's
Voyager indulge in both so thoroughly (not quite 50/50, but close) that it's often hard to tell which one takes precedence in the songwriting process. None of this will matter to open-minded headbangers, of course, but it should be mentioned since even the heavier material found on the band's fourth album,
The Meaning of I (e.g. "Momentary Relapse of Pain," "Fire of the Times," "Are You Shaded?"), is invariably slathered in synthesizer parts and will frequently swap guitars for purely electronic passages. Another point of contention lies with singer Daniel "'Nephil'" Estrin, whose lyrics range from intriguing philosophy (the title cut and others) to ham-fisted poetry or tired clichés ("Seize the Day"), while his vocals themselves are generally just good, not great (notably on "Broken"). But, on the occasions when everything finally gels,
Voyager deliver some memorable stuff, including "Stare into the Night" (an obvious first single delineating the group's vision, capped by massive hooks), "The Pensive Disarray" (a classy mid-paced number ignited by
Queen's "We Will Rock You" drumbeat but sharing nothing else in common), and "Iron Dream" (an emotional tribute to deceased
Type O Negative frontman
Peter Steele). And the strongest lingering impression is that, although
Voyager's hybrid style may still require some maturation for some, or totally fail to connect with a large portion of the traditional metal audience, the band is creating something rather unique nevertheless. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia