Search - Voyager :: Element V

Dream Voyage

Violet Revenge | Australia | 04/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"True to its name, this band's music takes you on a voyage, a journey through exotic lands and across musical boundaries. Lose yourself in a picaresque progression that juxtaposes evil and good, idealism and pragmatism, joy and sorrow.



Voyager employs a plethora of esoteric styles and moods to transport its listeners through a mysterious universe that both welcomes and threatens. The music is multi-layered and rich, the lyrics truly poetical, the vocals engaging.



I'm not sure how to categorise Voyager's music -- perhaps it defies definition. Melodic? Exotic? Prog rockic? Heavy metallic? Fantastic?



Wayfarer



Surrounded by night

I walk a star strewn pathway

And find myself lost



My favourites? To the Morning Light. The Eleventh Meridian. This Bitter Land.



This is one of my favourite bands. I'd love to hear them live one day."

Impressive debut from one of metal's best new bands

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 04/22/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Element V is the 2004 debut from Australian melodic/progressive/gothic metal band Voyager. I was so blown away by the band's 2008 album Univers that I knew I had to go back and see how their previous album measured up.



How best to describe this unique band? Voyager is a melodic progressive metal band, but they incorporate a lot of different sounds. I guess if you started with Vanishing Point (another insanely good Australian melodic prog metal band) and added some of Paradise Lost's goth rock elements, a bit of Type O Negative style crooning, and the occasional harsh vocals, you'd come close to what Voyager is all about. It's a dazzling interplay of wickedly infectious melodies, emotional dramatic vocals, and flashy musicianship.



If I hadn't heard Univers, I'd probably call Element V a near-perfect album. It's still extremely impressive, especially for a debut album, but the songs on Univers are just so much better and made a much larger impression on me.



It may not be as mind-blowing as Univers, but Element V is still an outstanding and innovative album that fans of melodic and/or progressive metal will want to check out. Fans of Vanishing Point, Paradise Lost, Nightingale and Free Spirit in particular should find Voyager right up their alley. They're one of my absolute favorite new bands, and deserve a much wider audience."