Voyager released brand-new track and video 'Ultraviolet'
Perth’s fearless, riff-laden, genre-bending band VOYAGER are back with their long-awaited eighth studio album ‘Fearless In Love‘ scheduled for release on July 14th via Season Of Mist.
The band is now releasing the second brand new song “Ultraviolet“, featuring Sean Harmanis of MAKE THEM SUFFER, which is available via all digital service providers HERE and comes in the form of a music video HERE.
VOYAGER comment on the track:
“‘Ultraviolet’ is certainly one of the darkest songs on the album. As the protagonist struggles to cope with the pressure of the modern world and its insane demands, the song has a message that we hope will resonate with many people. We collaborated with director Matt Pitcher to tell this story in a cinematic way. Due to the dissonant nature of the track, we decided to enlist our good friend and Sean Harmanis, to perform a guest vocal spot to really portray the unsettling emotion we wanted to communicate in the track, and he totally slays“
Pre-order can be found HERE!
VOYAGER previously announced their return to Europe and the UK in October 2023! A full list of confirmed shows can be found below. Tickets are on sale HERE!
VOYAGER EU/UK
01 Oct 23 Cologne (DE) Euroblast Festival
02 Oct 23 Hamburg (DE) Headcrash
03 Oct 23 Berlin (DE) Cassiopeia
05 Oct 23 Warsaw (PL) Voodoo
07 Oct 23 Prague (CZ) Futurum
08 Oct 23 Budapest (HU) Durer Kert
09 Oct 23 Vienna (AT) Szene
10 Oct 23 Munich (DE) Feierwerk
11 Oct 23 Milan (IT) Legend Club
12 Oct 23 Zurich (CH) Komplex Club
14 Oct 23 Lyss (CH) Kufa
15 Oct 23 Paris (FR) Les Etoiles
16 Oct 23 Antwerp (BE) Kavka
17 Oct 23 Tilburg (NL) 013
18 Oct 23 Zoetermeer (NL) Boerderij
20 Oct 23 Manchester (UK) Club Academy
21 Oct 23 London (UK) The Dome
VOYAGER will be playing in support of their upcoming album “Fearless in Love”. The cover artwork and further album details can be found below.
As much as you can rely on the Earth’s elliptical orbit, you can depend on Voyager to consistently evolve. The band’s interplanetary balance of virtuosic pyrotechnics and sky scraping radio-ready hooks morphs at the speed of sound from one era to the next. In bursts of bright light, luminous keys, neon guitar wizardry, and stratosphere-shaking rhythms, they elevate hard rock to another realm. The group blast off on a signature hybrid of prog, rock, and metal possibly best described as the musical equivalent of Guardians of the Galaxy.
After piling up millions of streams, earning acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, and wowing the globe on the Eurovision Song Contest, the Perth, Australia quintet—Danny Estrin [vocals], Simone Dow [guitar], Scott Kay [guitar], Alex Canion [bass], and Ashley Doodkorte [drums]—take flight like never before on their forthcoming eighth full-length LP, Fearless In Love [Season of Mist].
Danny notes:
“It’s progressive in the sense we’re always trying to reinvent and refresh ourselves as musicians. I want to develop musically from where we left off. We made sure Fearless In Love was melodic with some sugary hooks, but we also stayed true to our sound and delivered a few more guitar solos. It could appeal to fans of complex music as well as anybody who might want a straight-up banger. It’s a melting pot of the genres that define us distilled into the unique Voyager sound.”
This cohort of dynamic talents and personalities initially crash-landed stateside for a now-renowned performance at the 2011 ProgPower USA Festival in Atlanta, GA. Since then, they’ve unleashed a string of fan favourite albums—V [2014], Ghost Mile [2017], and Colours in the Sun [2019]—in addition to sharing stages with the likes Deftones, Leprous, Devin Townsend, Opeth, and Poppy to name a few. Australia notably handpicked Voyager as its entrant into the global Eurovision Song Contest 2023 with “Promise.” The Guardian hailed the buzzing single as “a pop number that bends the genre with trademark riffs, climactic guitars and keytar solos,” and it crashed the Top 3 of the Australian Independent Label Singles Chart. They even appeared on TODAY Australia to wave the metal flag by teaching daytime TV hosts black metal growls, as plugged by Metal Injection!
Throughout 2022, they crafted what would become Fearless In Love with engineer, mixer, and coproducer Matt Templeman. This time around, the musicians recorded live, unlocking a new energy altogether.
“Normally, we write and record our parts individually, but the whole band decided to go old school and do everything together this time,” he goes on. “This line-up has been together for twelve years, and we gel so well. It’s cool because we can play off each other like a live show with funky bass, groovy guitars, and creative drum patterns. It translates to the album.”
On the single “Prince of Fire,” glimmering keys give way to a hard-hitting guitar riff as Danny‘s slick vocals seesaw atop a punchy bass line.
“It’s actually one of the heaviest songs we’ve done, yet it’s got this super eighties mentality,” the front man reveals. “Lyrically, it’s about being perceived as the bad guy, even though you’re trying to do your best. You have good intentions, but sometimes you end up being the ‘Prince of Fire on night patrol’. Musically, it sways side-to-side, and then you’re crushed—which is a common theme for us.”
Then, there’s “The Lamenting.” Seventies-style sonics dissolve in a haze of riffs offset by swooning vocals and synths. Distortion drowns out the light in its final moments.
“You’re lamenting past loves and trying to let go and not wallow in those memories,” Danny elaborates. “There’s a bitter end that almost leaves you in the dark without pulling you out. It’s one of the most melancholic and sad songs on the album.”
Meanwhile, “Ultraviolet” layers a hypnotic refrain above chugging guitar as growls pierce the groove before a hummable solo.
“It’s about coping with the speed of modern society,” he states. “I like a fast-paced world, but it can be too much. You almost want to bury your head under your pillow and scream, ‘Slow down’. The expectations we have on each other as humans are just nuts. Sometimes, you need to become ultraviolet, duck under, and go, ‘No more for me, thanks’.”
The finale “Gren (Fearless In Love)” concludes the album with a climactic crescendo pushed even higher by resounding melodies and nimble instrumentation.
“When you’re in love, you have boundless energy and feelings for a person, which makes you almost invincible,” he elaborates. “There’s a huge vulnerability, because you’re not invincible at all. You’re totally susceptible to extreme hurt and letdown. There’s something beautiful about letting yourself go and fully experiencing being fearless though.”
In the end, a similar creative boundlessness drives Voyager.
“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.”
Line-up
Danny Estrin – Vocals, Keytar
Simone Dow – Guitars
Alex Canion – Bass
Scott Kay – Guitars
Ash Doodkorte – Drums
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