Hot on the heels of making the grand finale of Eurovision and coming home to a sold-out Australian tour, Voyager are releasing one last advanced track off their highly anticipated new album, which comes out this Friday, July 14.
"Ultraviolet" is haunting and dissonant. Adding to its dark and modern vibe is fellow Aussie Sean Harmanis, who's the vocalist for the metalcore band Make Them Suffer.
The song reflects on the struggle of living in the modern world, grappling with depression, being addicted to screens and social media, while striving for self-expression and individualism.
"Much like the elusive yet dangerous nature of ultraviolet light, these often unseen forces hold immense power in shaping the course of our existence," says Matt Pitcher, who directed the song's cinematic video. Watch it BELOW.
Here's what Voyager has to say about their new single: ""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".
'Fearless in Love" is out this Friday, July 14 on Season of Mist. It's Voyager's long-awaited eighth studio album; Daniel "Danny" Estrin (vocals/keyboards), Simone Dow (guitars), Scott Kay (guitars), Alex Canion (bass) and Ashley Doodkorte (drums) have been making music together for more than a decade. But 'Fearless in Love' pairs sweeping vocals with emotive lyrics that are inspired by '80s and '90s film. All that grit and glamor is overlaid by heavy percussion and guitar riffs, creating a sonic journey that pushes the boundaries of what fans have come to expect from this band.
Previous singles include the synthy "Dreamer", hit power ballad "Promise" and shredding, sizzling headbanger "Prince of Fire".
Pre-save and pre-order 'Fearless of Love' HERE.
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].
“It’s progressive in the sense we’re always trying to reinvent and refresh ourselves as musicians,” notes Danny. “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
Cover artwork:Ashley Doodkorte
Follow Voyager:
http://www.facebook.com/voyageraustralia
https://www.instagram.com/voyagerau
https://www.tiktok.com/voyagerau
http://www.voyagerau.com
https://twitter.com/Voyagerau
https://voyager.bandcamp.com/
Pre-sale: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/VoyagerFiL
Stream/Download:https://orcd.co/v-promise