Voyager
Element V

March 2005
Released: n/a, Self Released
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: Aryn

Australia's Voyager was formed in 2000 by Adam Lovkis (drums), Mark Baker (keyboards) and Danny M. Estrin (vox/guitar) in the town of Perth. They are said to be Australias first power metal band, but that honor belongs to Dungeon as they formed in 1989. After several lineup changes and work to perfect their unique sound the boys and girl of Voyager released ELEMENT V on their own dime in 2003.



Pinning down a definition of Voyagers sound is an exercise in futility, as so many styles have some degree of influence that it's downright confusing to listen to at times. Very keyboard heavy, the intro track "Sic Transit Gloria Mundi" leads you to believe you are in for an epic symphonic metal band with it's thick keyboard fanfare reminiscent of Bal-Sagoth. However by the second track you hear chuggy rhytmic guitars playing a riff that stray dangerously close to mallcore backed by a strong keyboard melody and vocals that wouldn't sound out of place on an 80's British techno-goth record. Then there is an attempt at extreme gutteral vocals that sound painfully out of place and awkward in the otherwise lush and airy song.



The songs on the album will switch flawlessly between black metal inspired chord progressions to neo-classical shredding with power metal double kicks and blazing keyboard runs to Stratovarius-style balladry. It's very obvious that the members of Voyager are very talented individuals. But they try to put too much on to one record, there is even a straight up techno track, a ballad called "Towards Uncertainty" which while well written and in fact a good song is completely out of place on a metal record. I liken this record to a Taco Bell 7-Layer Burrito, it has many many ingredients that individually are great but together are an unsatisfying mish-mash.