Voyager"I reckon, deep down, everybody really loves a good pop song…” Voyager vocalist Danny Estrin muses as we're trying to get to the bottom of the Perth band's sound. It's no easy task either, seeing as the band have been confounding audiences since their beginnings way back in 1999. There's talk of prog metal, power metal, Estrin even throwing out – and dismissing – the dubious 'pop metal' label. The vocalist's best guess as to what the band offers is, “If [pop music is] combined with some heavier riffs and driving guitars and pumping drums, it's probably a failsafe equation for a good time.”
We're talking about the band's delightfully idiosyncratic sound because there's a new album in the works, the band's fifth, their last 2011's The Meaning Of I. “We've had a history of releasing a record every two, two and a half years and now we've pretty much got a whole album written already. We're in the stages of pre-production now so hopefully at this show we'll be able to throw in a new one to show people the direction we're heading in. [The new record] is definitely more positive than the last one. This next one's going to be a little bit more upbeat and have a positive element… I think it's going to be partly heavier, partly catchier, partly more experimental, but I think it's going to be uniquely Voyager.”
Rather than simplifying, the new record has the band delving deeper into the extremities of Voyager's sound. “One of the things I like doing is to write a metal song with a pop sensibility. So you have a relatively simple song with a relatively simple melody, and then under that you've got instruments doing odd, progressive things. So there's something for the music lovers to enjoy and the people who like good, simple melody can also latch onto.”
International touring and high profile support slots on bills with Children Of Bodom and Alestorm makes their upcoming show a de facto The Meaning Of I album release. The headlining show has also allowed Voyager to extend a hand to the local metal scene; the band offered up the opening two slots to any band that wanted to submit their music. “I remember what it was like starting out. And so what better opportunity for some local, young talent to express their interest and for us to select them based on merit. It's worked out really well, and I think it's really cool to help out bands. I wish back in my day there were bands who had done this.”
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But we didn't reach any consensus about Voyager's sound. “I don't think we've had too many problems per se. It's actually kind of been the selling point of the band. Of course there's going to be hardcore death metal or grindcore fans who are going to go, 'No, we don't want to hear any pop influences,' but at some shows I've seen big, burly guys with Slayer T-shirts singing along to our most poppiest pop songs.”
