When I received the promotional copy of Australian progressive rock/metal act VOYAGER‘s new record, “Fearless in Love,” a few quotes by the band were included, among which vocalist Danny Estrin mentioned, “When you listen to ‘Fearless In Love,’ I’d love for you to say, ‘I’ve never heard anything like this before’,” he leaves off. “Secondly, I hope you’re uplifted, intrigued, and emotional. We try take you on a journey through struggle, positivity, negativity, and a society that doesn’t always make sense. Maybe, listening to the record will make you feel better about dealing with this crazy modern world we’re living in.” Indeed, the world may not make any sense at the moment, but the one thing we can always rely is on on these Aussies to deliver solid tracks. “Fearless in Love” is to be released via Season of Mist on July 14th, 2023, and we’re to investigate just what kind of an effect it has on us. Can we fall fearlessly in love with this album as the band would have hoped for? You’ll find out…
A first date with somebody is often about exploring whether the other person has much in common with you, as well as their intentions. So would there have been a better way to start this record than with “The Best Intentions?” Probably not! Lyrically it fits like a glove and sonically, “Fearless in Love” gets a dramatic entrée with some pizazz, mostly due to the electronic soundscape at the very beginning. I encourage everyone to listen to the bass line groove and go to places we would have never dreamt of, and drummer Ash Doodkorte does a HIIT workout, sometimes high-on-energy, sometimes more calm, but always very surprising.
“Prince of Fire” is a composition we’ve heard before, as it was released as a single and overall was warmly welcomed by fans. With its djenty riffs, it hits home a little more than the previous track, but for me I guess it’s mostly the vocals that stick this track permanently in the mind, like many others on this album, by the way. Perhaps the biggest love-at-first-sight moment on this record was probably “Ultraviolet”; from the first note, I thought, “yeah this is not my jam,” but as it progressed, it just sort of became that song that takes you on a wild adventure you never asked for. It starts off rather mellow but there are a couple of guitar leads flavoring the track here and there that give it a little ’80s vibe, yet there is also room for some chunky djenty riffs and growling as the song continues.
VOYAGER may have released “Dreamer” a year ago, but it still snuck onto the tracklist of this record. Rightfully so – the electronic bounce that sweeps you off your feet and straight onto the dance floor is simply ingenious. My attention drifts a bit with “The Lamenting,” but only because I am not usually a fan of ballad-like songs; although it has its great moments, mostly towards the end, it’s not as hooky as the rest. Next up, another single, “Submarine,” is a fantastic illustration of the skilled musicians behind this band. From playing around with staccato riffing at the very beginning, to a juicy bass lick at around 38 seconds, the devil is in the details! The ending to “Submarine” is channeling straight up Devin Townsend‘s “Ocean Machine” vibes.
We made an effort not to squeeze in too many Eurovision Song Contest mentions in this review, but alas, with “Promise,” it’s mention is inevitable. The band’s monster hit landed them with first place in the semi-finals and an altogether ninth spot in the grand finale. They were also probably the first (but hopefully not last) prog band to perform on Europe’s biggest stage. Its placement on the album right after “Submarine” makes for a great and dynamic flow. Admittedly, upon first hearing the song I was maybe a little disappointed, thinking I liked “Dreamer” better, but then it revealed its true face after a few spins, having me like a hyped-up Kermit the Frog singing and dancing along, which is exactly what a Eurovision song should do. After that, “Twisted” provides a little bit more in the way of dynamics, channeling a little bit of ’80s electro-pop, with Danny Estrin singing in a PETSHOP BOYS or DEPECHE MODE -kind of way, in a bit of a lower register. This was definitely a welcome surprise, like the bit of melted chocolate in a moelleux au chocolat [chocolate cake with melted chocolate in the middle] or an accidental curly fry in a batch of normal fries.
“Daydream” serves fans that like the band’s poppier approach as, apart from the proggy instrumentation, it’s more oriented towards pop-rock music, but nevertheless remains a very radio-friendly song that could have easily been a summer single. “Listen” builds up really nicely and right where you expect the song to explode (which could have been a great confetti moment at a show, by the way) it actually does something completely different and manages to surprise and captivate listeners with a wonderfully laidback guitar solo. Not the sort of explosion we thought of, but it did serve its purpose.
The album ends in a serene manner with “Gren (Fearless in Love),” which is perhaps the most epic banger from this listening experience. This song is a little bit more immersive and the lengthiest one on the entire offering, but includes a lot of beautiful synth soundscapes, lots of moments progheads will enjoy, and a satisfying conclusion to the album.
Having taken “Fearless in Love” out for many spins, I can conclude that it truly rocked my entire world. Having known some of its traits beforehand with “Prince of Fire,” “Dreamer, “Submarine,” and “Promise,” the rest of the album offers an immersive listening experience full of dynamic songs that will leave a lasting impression. In “Fearless in Love,” VOYAGER have opened up their sound, expanding their soundscape from what they did on “Colours in the Sun,” creating something a little bit more unique: a potluck of different genres combined with their trademark progressive metal sound – a recipe for success. We’ll surely be adding this beauty of a record to our end-of-the-year lists!
Tracklist
1. The Best Intentions
2. Prince of Fire
3. Ultraviolet
4. Dreamer
5. The Lamenting
6. Submarine
7. Promise
8. Twisted
9. Daydream
10. Listen
11. Gren (Fearless in Love)
Lineup
Danny Estrin – Vocals
Simone Dow – Guitars
Alex Canion – Bass
Scott Kay – Guitars
Ash Doodkorte – Drums
Label
Season of Mist
