VOYAGER
This is one of those bills that looks like a mismatch: a poppy, proggy heavy rock/metal headliner, an idiosyncratic French techno and metal hybrid as main support and a progressive metalcore opener. Sounds out of whack? On paper, yes. In reality, it works an absolute treat.
Windwaker have a massive sound, and they walk a fine line between impressing the tech-heads with their musicianship and the technicality of their riffage while maintaining an accessible sound through their melodic vocals and the straightforwardness of their grooves. And closer Castaway is just mighty.
The Algorithm is a musical project so tripped-out that you don’t know whether to pop an E, wave a glow stick and dance, or to headbang furiously. This one-man project, with a live drummer, is an electro-symphony with heavy guitars and live drums, and nary a vocal within earshot. It shouldn’t work, but it does.
The live drums, which give the sound an organic feel, lay down the sometimes alien grooves while main man Rémi Gallego switches between heavy guitars, a heavily distorted bass guitar and his DJ/ producer decks. Sometimes it’s orchestral, sometimes it turns the venue into a disco/rave and sometimes it sounds like technical thrash metal. And it’s all seamless.
Voyager are launching their brand new album Ghost Mile this evening, and they come on sounding sharper than a brand new axe, with all five members smiling ear to ear and looking like there’s nowhere else on Earth they would rather be at this moment. Charismatic frontman Danny Estrin’s broad toothy grin is particularly infectious, and the joyous mood on stage quickly spreads to the adoring Evelyn audience.
This is a band that has experienced a career renaissance in the last few years, starting with their last record V, and now continuing with Ghost Mile. So while they have an illustrious back catalogue behind them, they focus closely on the more recent material, opening with the first two singles from the new album, Ascension and Misery Is Only Company.
The set is a 70-minute volley of majestic and masterful tunes, including A Beautiful Mistake, Breaking Down and the title track from the new album. There’s also the smart Hyperventilating, plus a few bars from a couple of sneaky covers, namely Gangsa’s Paradise and I Like To Move It, and a tasteful single encore, a hectic version of White Shadow.
A Voyager gig is about as much fun as you can have at a heavy show, and tonight is no exception.