Voyager: I Am The ReVolution... a review

[Fizrider]

Not that my opinion matters squat, nor do many of you know who the heck I am, but maybe some of you are wondering "Who is Voyager, and should I show up early on Friday to catch them?"

I could be selfish, and say stay away, you don't want to hear them, but that would deny money to the bartenders, as well as deny a goood band the chance for a great audience. The chance for a private show isn't worth that.

When living in England in the 80's, I caught a Depeche Mode concert in Brighton. These guys have that kind of chord progression and tone development... but with Metal.

Yeah - I liked Depeche Mode. Screw You if that is a problem. Voyager is not speed, they are not thrash, they are not Dark or Death... they are just cool, with some well developed lyrics. Heck - they even throw some Russian in. I am pretty excited to hear them live.

 

[KingsGene]

uhhhhh.....and your review of "I Am The ReVolution" is...forthcoming...?

 

[nailz]

I bet he was around an [8] when this was written.

 

[Akumu]

Russian? Pretty sure it's German...

ETA: Never mind, I was thinking of a different song. Sorry!

 

[General Zod]

uhhhhh.....and your review of "I Am The ReVolution" is...forthcoming...?

This.

 

[AngraRULES]

Not that my opinion matters squat, nor do many of you know who the heck I am, but maybe some of you are wondering "Who is Voyager, and should I show up early on Friday to catch them?"

I could be selfish, and say stay away, you don't want to hear them, but that would deny money to the bartenders, as well as deny a goood band the chance for a great audience. The chance for a private show isn't worth that.

When living in England in the 80's, I caught a Depeche Mode concert in Brighton. These guys have that kind of chord progression and tone development... but with Metal.

Yeah - I liked Depeche Mode. Screw You if that is a problem. Voyager is not speed, they are not thrash, they are not Dark or Death... they are just cool, with some well developed lyrics. Heck - they even throw some Russian in. I am pretty excited to hear them live.

I *hate* to be another one to sound like a dick, but you call that a review?

 

[Fizrider]

I *hate* to be another one to sound like a dick, but you call that a review?

I was at work, and got distracted - sorry to disappoint.

Let's relabel it as a comment on their sound, and a recommendation that people give them a listen.

I blame it on the excess MSG in my Chinese Takeout that was covering my desk at the time... and... an elephant walked by my window. Yeah, that's it.

I really hate to have AngraRULES hate to follow in the footsteps of people sounding like dicks. I accept all blame, so his conscience can remain clean.

I'm going to go listen to more Voyager now...

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Whatever, Depeche Mode isn't perfect but when they hit they hit it out of the park. Some classic shit, and Voyager rules for sure.

 

[AngraRULES]

I really hate to have AngraRULES hate to follow in the footsteps of people sounding like dicks. I accept all blame, so his conscience can remain clean.

I'm going to go listen to more Voyager now...

Cool. Glad we're on the same page. I hate that you hate that I hated to have sounded like a dick. That being said, I'm glad you're going to listen to Voyager some more. I'd hate to hear you say they're not doing it for ya. Voyager rocks.

 

[nailz]

Cool. Glad we're on the same page. I hate that you hate that I hated to have sounded like a dick. That being said, I'm glad you're going to listen to Voyager some more. I'd hate to hear you say they're not doing it for ya. Voyager rocks.

I hate you. Voyager rules.

 

[Fizrider]

Despite by faux pas by promising a Review and then crashing and burning with no style points, at least we have established the following:

Voyager Rules
Voyager Rocks
Elvenking Pimps hate The One and Only; and
Someone else thinks that Depeche mode had some awesome moments.

Oh: "Total Existence Failure"

Just giving this one a listen now - speedier than some other tracks on the album, crispness on the lyrics is impressive. Oh - and this is the one with the German Lyrics referenced by Akumu. If Danny Estrin can sing these various languages WHILE playing the complex keyboard arrangements he's got in a live show - these guys will kill.

Studio version of this song sounds a little synth-pop vs. "metal" - but I happen to really LIKE synth-pop (I'm a Marillion fan, so go figure). Drums are solid - have some jazz beats thrown in with some straight-up driving rhythm. Bass and Guitars synch up nice, seem to be on the same page and then all of a sudden some bizarre Herman Li sounds come out before the German Lyrics start. This is also the first Voyager song I've heard with some growling vocals thrown in as a counterpoint to Estrin's typically smooth tenor.

Keyboards definitely dominate the melody of this tune, but the guitars come back into full force on the closing portion, driving down to a sell-defined end.

Album shows goood overall structure, as this track goes straight into "Straight to the Other Side" - (This is the one with Russian, Akumu) a song with similar opening structure, but now guitars drive the melody with keyboards providing the departure harmonies and some nifty effects (again, almost as an introduction to the foreign language lesson)

Okay - I hope that redeems SOME of my earlier gaffe.

This album really appeals to my 80's centric brain: my Rush, Yes, Marillion, and Depeche mode taste buds are very happy with these Aussies, and I can't wait to see them live. I am purchasing the rest of their online catalog tonight.

Oh - and I think the most Depeche Mode-y song on the album is "In My Arms." I hope there are a lot of gothy looking girls with crazy eyeshadow, baggy clothing and cross-inspired jewelry to look at during this song.

 

[Akumu]

Album shows goood overall structure, as this track goes straight into "Straight to the Other Side" - (This is the one with Russian, Akumu) a song with similar opening structure, but now guitars drive the melody with keyboards providing the departure harmonies and some nifty effects (again, almost as an introduction to the foreign language lesson)

Again, I'm really sorry about that - I felt like a complete tool when I glanced from the German in "Total Existence Failure", started reading "Straight to the Other Side" and suddenly noticed the Russian transliteration. Total brain fart.

Oh - and I think the most Depeche Mode-y song on the album is "In My Arms." I hope there are a lot of gothy looking girls with crazy eyeshadow, baggy clothing and cross-inspired jewelry to look at during this song.

I'd say the bonus track is even more gothtastic! It's hardly even metal:



Overall, I agree - I'm not an '80s child, but I still love what they do. They're definitely one of the bands I'm looking forward to the most this year.

 

[Fizrider]

Akumu - you just left me an opening to realize there was a winner of "Second Place Tool" in this thread - 1st place being mine.


And those two songs really DO run together stylistically. Maybe they are really just the SAME song, but with German AND Russian lyics.

Gothtastic... awesome. Maybe I can dress in all black, find my sterling ankh earring, pretend it's 1988, and find me a cute 19 year old girl with long black hair who wants to talk about Nietzsche, apartheid, and how breast implants are just part of a CIA plot.

Of course, my wife would probably disapprove mightily of that plan.

 

[raising_iron]

These guys were the only band I hadn't heard of when announced on that friday, so i picked up their first and latest and was blown away! Major kudos to whoever sponsored, promoted, demanded, etc, their appearance at PP. I cannot wait to hear 'em live. And while I hate just about every influence mentioned above - Depeche Mode, Marillion, etc. - the fact is those sounds are in there. It's subtle, but there is definitely an 80's goth/synth/pop vibe going on, but when the songs are written this damn well and wrapped up in the glorious cloak of metal, it works. Again, huge surprise for me and I've been listening to the hell out of these 2 discs, I need to grab Univers at some point...

 

[General Zod]

Perhaps it's just me, but Voyager sounds to me like Duran Duran if Duran Duran was a Metal band. And I mean that in a completely flattering way. I not only hear a similar sensibility to Nick Rhodes on the keys, but also a very clear similarity to Simon LeBon, on occasion, within the vocals. And since the same guy handles vox and keys, I can't help but think it's not a coincidence.

 

[Pellaz]

Considering he did that rather awesome dance remix of "Lost," I think that rules out coincidence.

 

[Cheiron]

Duran Duran meets Type O Negative, but yet does something entirely their own. This is one of those bands that plays the type of music that I would want to write if I had any skill.

 

[Justin G]

These guys were the only band I hadn't heard of when announced on that friday, so i picked up their first and latest and was blown away! Major kudos to whoever sponsored, promoted, demanded, etc, their appearance at PP. I cannot wait to hear 'em live. And while I hate just about every influence mentioned above - Depeche Mode, Marillion, etc. - the fact is those sounds are in there. It's subtle, but there is definitely an 80's goth/synth/pop vibe going on, but when the songs are written this damn well and wrapped up in the glorious cloak of metal, it works. Again, huge surprise for me and I've been listening to the hell out of these 2 discs, I need to grab Univers at some point...

Univers is the best of the three. I can't recommend it highly enough.

 

[raising_iron]

^^^Good to know, I'll be grabbing it soon then.

 

[General Zod]

This is one of those bands that plays the type of music that I would want to write if I had any skill.

Very cool. Deserves a thread. For me, it's Redemption. When I was in a band, that was the sound I was striving for, I was just not aware of it and not talented enough to get there.