Band:	Voyager
Album:	Fearless In Love
Style:	Symphonic progressive metal
Release date:	July 2023

01. The Best Intentions
02. Prince Of Fire
03. Ultraviolet [feat. Sean Harmanis]
04. Dreamer
05. The Lamenting
06. Submarine
07. Promise
08. Twisted
09. Daydream
10. Listen
11. Gren (Fearless In Love)



The return of the band with the big V from Down Under; Australia’s Voyager have been a steady prog machine since 1999. Daniel Estrin may be the only founding member left but the lineup has been steady since 2011. His unique voice, hairdo, and weird stylish keyboards are matched by Simone Dow incisive lead guitar licks. Their sound has shifted to a pop-influenced kind of prog metal over the years. So much so that they just represented their country at the Eurovision Song Contest with the single "Promise". So what to expect from this new Fearless In Love album, you ask? Ask no more.

There is a marked 80s influence with prevalence of synthesizers and soaring vocals that seems to fill sonic landscapes by the bucket-load. To cut to the chase, Fearless In Love is a collection of super-catchy popish tunes on the topic of love with delectable prog power moments. It features an ultra-crisp production that highlights the more intense passages of the songs just as much as the clean ones, and also gives lots of room for the band members to operate and impress.

Daniel’s vocals and Simone’s solos are often the highlights. That being said, the best tracks seem to follow a similar buildup, which might frustrate the pure prog listener quite a bit. It’s not to say that originality is not present. Voyager show some of that throughout. But a few songs really feel repetitive in formulation.

The splendid opener "The Best Intentions" alternatively evokes bands such as Leprous and Threshold. The single "Prince Of Fire" is the most dynamic and most diverse track of the bunch. It has great singing rhythm, timing and clarity, a wonderful prog bridge supported by off-the-chart vocals, which then clash to rebound even higher. "Dreamer" is the most intriguing track with some clever vocal delivery and quirky keys. It is also the most danceable track. "Promise" is a hybrid pop-prog ballad with a catchy core while "Twisted" - built on a power riff - is the most hypnotic and aggressive. In terms of surprises, "Ultraviolet" features fellow Aussie Sean Harmanis (Make Them Suffer) for some power vocals, and the tail end of "Submarine" sounds like Devin Townsend is guest starring on it (he is not, it’s more like an homage).

The sound is crisp, the musicianship high, and there are plenty of enjoyable moments. However, Fearless In Love feels more like an entertaining list of singles rather than one super-impressive cohesive effort. The last trio of tracks seem to convey an intentional mellow mood but lack a certain "je ne sais quoi" to wrap up in a more memorable fashion, which brings down the excitement built by the front end of the album. Still, if you are cool with pop-influenced prog music, all songs here are quality. Gems such as "Prince Of Fire" and "Dreamer" make it a very good listen with an overall unique vibe. Fearless In Love is not perfect but it has great replay value and a light atmosphere that make it a special and fresh record overall.