Australia’s foremost progressive metal act, Voyager are busting out of their home city of Perth for a national tour this May and June to launch their new video of ‘Seasons Of Age’ taken from their critically acclaimed album, 2014’s V.
The tour promises to be a biggie, the band having enlisted France’s klone as supports as they perform in capital cities across Australia.
To celebrate the upcoming tour, Voyager member Scott Kay thought it would be fun to put together a guide on one of their favourite genres (no points for guessing what genre that is) – prog rock. Check out their eight track guide to progressive rock below, and be sure to catch these guys while they’re on the road. Dates below.
Opeth – ‘Deliverance’
“I have a soft spot for this track as it was one of the gateway progressive songs for me. This track has everything; a huge, hard hitting opening, awesome bluesy riffs, killer solos, a nice quieter section near the back end of the song. Definitely hits my top choices without question.”
Devin Townsend – ‘Deadhead’
“There is an overload of feels in that opening lead. What ensues after is a huge, epic, and beautiful track that washes over you like a tidal wave. The scream-singing on the last chorus regularly sends chills down my spine; the delivery is perfect. This is my favourite song from one of my favourite albums.”
Frost* – ‘Black Light Machine’
“I discovered this band, and specifically this track, on Tumblr of all places. There’s more going on there than just pictures of people with tattoos, believe it or not.
The production on this track is awesome; a super clean mix that really suits the airy style of the track. I love the way it builds in layers as it goes. Then, nearly seven minutes into the track it ventures into heavier territory, and even has electronica elements, with glitch effects creating a really awesome groove. If that all sounds like wank, just go and listen to the track. it’s awesome.”
Chimp Spanner – ‘Cloud City’
“Paul’s writing is the perfect sonic representation of being in space. Cloud City, from his EP ‘All Roads Lead Here’, is just a killer instrumental track with a really interesting feel.
Four-to-the-floor drum groove in a progressive metal track? No way! But it works. The lead playing is tasty, utilising modes and upper extensions, and some clever chromaticism. All of this combined with some awesome spacey sounding pads, and you’ve got a killer, and identifiably ‘Chimp Spanner’ track.”
The Dear Hunter – ‘The Lake and the River’
“Would I consider The Dear Hunter a progressive band? Maybe not overall, but there are definitely songs in their discography, or even whole albums that are progressive in the nature of their concept, and thematic style.
‘The Lake and the River’ is a killer example of this; the instrumental arrangement is incredibly varied; piano, xylophone; there’s even a guiro in there! In the greater context of the album, there are melodies and hooks in the song that recur later on as well. Overall, this track is absolutely killer, and takes you on a lovely journey.”
Dream Theater – ‘Erotomania’
“It’s not a real progressive mix tape without Dream Theater! For personal reasons, I’ve chosen Erotomania, from their Awake record. When I was learning bass guitar, at around 14 years of age, I found this track, and decided to challenge myself by learning it, top to bottom. The opening riff was one of the contributors to having a much more refined left hand technique, both for bass and for guitar.
As a track, it’s got a good flow of ideas too; the transition into the softer middle section of the track is seamless. Also, John Petrucci obliterates on this song; from leads to rhythm playing, it’s all incredible.”
Tesseract – ‘Nocturne’
“The opening and closing riffs of this track are worth a rant of how damn awesome they are alone, but when you add a really catchy chorus in the middle of it, you’ve got a recipe for an absolute banger. Ashe’s vocal delivery on this track is truly standout.
His different vocal ideas create distinct sections in the song that give it a great overall ebb and flow. But as I mentioned above, the final riff of this song is huge. It travels through a few really awesome feel changes until it climaxes, crushing you with a super slow half-time groove at the end. So glorious.”
Textures – ‘Regenesis’
“It’s hard to pick just one song from this band, as both Drawing Circles and Silhouettes are killer albums, but I’ve gone with Regenesis, as it was one of the first songs I heard by Textures, and still remains one of my favourites from the band.
The combination of the raw Pantera-esque sound, and the amazing transition into the really epic and beautiful mid-section of the song is really unique and awesome. The chord changes in the B-section are really clever, and unique, giving a great platform for the vocals to shine. Great song, great band.”
Upcoming Tour Dates
Friday, May 29: Melbourne – The Evelyn
Saturday, May 30: Brisbane – The Brightside
Friday, June 5: Perth – Amplifier
Saturday, June 6: Bunbury – Prince Of Wales
Tickets and info at www.oztix.com.au
