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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Voyager - V + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Jun-29-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2014 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.voyager-australia.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Voyager Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : V Label : IAV ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Voyager has, thus far, enjoyed a stellar fifteen ║ │
│║ year career, forming in 1999 and completely ║ │
│║ demolishing their way through four full length ║ │
│║ albums. The band has become known as one ║ │
│║ progressive metal's most engaging and ║ │
│║ entertaining acts: whether it's because of their ║ │
│║ impressive live show or the fact that they ║ │
│║ really don't sound like anyone else, I'm not ║ │
│║ really sure. The band's fifth album, the ║ │
│║ appropriately titled V, was independently ║ │
│║ produced and released by the band, thanks to an ║ │
│║ immensely successful fan funded Kickstarter ║ │
│║ campaign. I'm sure it helped that the band has ║ │
│║ amassed a huge cult following in the years since ║ │
│║ their formation. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ With all creative control squarely in the hands ║ │
│║ of the band, expectations were extremely high ║ │
│║ throughout the band's fan base. The band's ║ │
│║ previous albums were full of infectious hooks, ║ │
│║ chunky groove laden guitar work, an impressively ║ │
│║ pulsating rhythm section and the otherworldly ║ │
│║ vocals of band founder Danny Estrin. Thankfully, ║ │
│║ fans of the band's earlier albums should still ║ │
│║ find everything that they love about Voyager in ║ │
│║ plentiful supply on V. This certainly is not ║ │
│║ just a band rehashing old glory days, as they ║ │
│║ have progressed more in the last three years ║ │
│║ than they have throughout their entire career. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Perhaps it's the vocals of Danny Estrin that ║ │
│║ bear the brunt of this progression. Voyager's ║ │
│║ vocals have always been one their most defining ║ │
│║ features, with Estrin's vocals sounding like a ║ │
│║ mix of the melodious vocals of Peter Steele with ║ │
│║ touches of Roy Khan and early Geoff Tate. ║ │
│║ Estrin's vocals have always had tinges that ║ │
│║ could make waves within popular music circles, ║ │
│║ but on V he really begins to touch a more ║ │
│║ emotive, pop style. It's not difficult to place ║ │
│║ Estrin's voice among the likes of Duran Duran ║ │
│║ and Coldplay, especially alongside the subtle ║ │
│║ strings and melodic nature of tracks like ║ │
│║ ôSummer Always Comes Againö and ethereal, new ║ │
│║ age styled intro to ôFortune Favors the Blindö. ║ │
│║ It's not surprising, then, that the band even ║ │
│║ considers themselves a stylistic combination of ║ │
│║ eighties synth pop and progressive metal. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ I don't want to say that the band has softened ║ │
│║ up at all because some of their heaviest riffing ║ │
│║ to date can be heard on tracks like ôIt's a ║ │
│║ Wonderö and even ôOrpheusö showcases some of ║ │
│║ bassist Alex Canion's growls again. The guitar ║ │
│║ work of Simone Dow and Scott Kay combine their ║ │
│║ chunky rhythmic style with plenty of melodic ║ │
│║ patterns and some impressive leads. Despite this ║ │
│║ impressive guitar work, I can't help but shake ║ │
│║ the impression that something is missing from ║ │
│║ the music. There is definitely something ║ │
│║ different here, but what? I mean the thumping ║ │
│║ bass lines are still intense and driving and the ║ │
│║ drum work of Mark Boeijen is still every bit as ║ │
│║ technical, as precise and as powerful as ║ │
│║ anything the band has done. The keytar / ║ │
│║ keyboard work of Danny Estrin is still ║ │
│║ impressive, mixing ringing and spacey ║ │
│║ atmospherics with the progressive power metal ║ │
│║ style of more keyboard driven bands like ║ │
│║ Stratovarius and the like. So if all of the ║ │
│║ instruments sound great and the band's ║ │
│║ performance is stellar, what gives? What sounds ║ │
│║ so different? ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ This certainly sounds like Voyager, but it's ║ │
│║ missing some piece that made the earlier albums ║ │
│║ so special. After sitting through countless ║ │
│║ listens on this album, I've come to the ║ │
│║ determination that this is an amazing Voyager ║ │
│║ album and it's miles ahead of their ║ │
│║ contemporaries, but it can't really be compared ║ │
│║ to their other albums. Sure, the band even ║ │
│║ remakes a track from their debut album, ôThe ║ │
│║ Morning Lightö, but V moves Voyager into foreign ║ │
│║ realms. It's a Voyager more focused on subtle ║ │
│║ melodies and less focused on catchy riffs and ║ │
│║ hooks out the wazoo; gone are the constant ║ │
│║ bouncy runs like ôWhite Shadowö and ôAre You ║ │
│║ Shaded?ö. Maybe Voyager has decided to grown up, ║ │
│║ maturing past the stage of constant hook laden ║ │
│║ progressive metal. Sure there are hooks, but not ║ │
│║ as many hooks as The Meaning of I or I Am the ║ │
│║ Revolution. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Honestly though, if you liked anything Voyager ║ │
│║ has released to date, then you will dig V. I ║ │
│║ really like it too and it truly is an impressive ║ │
│║ album, but I have to admit being somewhat let ║ │
│║ down. I wanted more hooks and more speed. Danny ║ │
│║ Estrin's vocals are still that perfect ║ │
│║ combination of eighties pop and Peter Steele and ║ │
│║ the instrumentation is practically flawless, but ║ │
│║ it just lacks those bursts of speedy catchiness ║ │
│║ that so wonderfully saturated their earlier ║ │
│║ material. Bottom line: V is an awesome album and ║ │
│║ a great, great addition to Voyager's catalog, ║ │
│║ but I'm a little disappointed with the lack of ║ │
│║ strong, forceful hooks. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Hyperventilating [04:41] │
│ 02 - Breaking Down [04:36] │
│ 03 - A Beautiful Mistake [05:02] │
│ 04 - Fortune Favours The Blind [01:02] │
│ 05 - You The Shallow [04:33] │
│ 06 - Embrace The Limitless [03:06] │
│ 07 - Orpheus [04:19] │
│ 08 - The Domination Game [04:30] │
│ 09 - Peacekeeper [04:47] │
│ 10 - It┤s A Wonder [05:11] │
│ 11 - The Morning Light [05:58] │
│ 12 - Summers Always Come Again [02:21] │
│ 13 - Seasons Of Age [04:40] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [54:46 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
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