Another band to benefit from crowdfunding, Australian outfit Voyager crafted their sixth album from the windfalls of generous fans after just a week of campaigning. But while money doesn’t buy talent time, it has bestowed upon them the opportunity to ripen their 18-year career.
Lifting off from 2014’s V, which was very much a reflection of the angular tech metal scene and dripping in glistening keytar-driven atmosphere, Ghost Mile expands on the ambience and focuses on Danny Estrin’s New Romantic croons to create an intriguing recipe of Devin Townsend, Skyharbor and Depeche Mode. This concoction isn’t without a few obstacles, namely that the double whammy of attention-stealing vocals and a thick backdrop of prog-meets-metal elements deserves good headphones to truly be appreciated, but it’s a minor criticism. Voyager are an ever-evolving creature on the prog end of tech metal and while Ghost Mile lacks the immediate hooks of its predecessor, the obliterating thunder of its title track will sate metal fans. The dizzying cocktail of crunch, solos, low-range reverbing vocals and quirky grooves that crop up on tracks such as What A Wonderful Day makes this another unique proposition.
