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Voyager – Danny Estrin

Voyager have gained the reputation as one of Australia’s leading melodic and progressive heavy metal bands.

Voyager recently released their latest album ‘I am the reVolution’ through Riot! Entertainment. Metal Obsession had a chance to speak with frontman Danny Estrin, about the band’s latest release and their upcoming national tour to support the new album.

Metal Obsession Review : Voyager – ‘I am the reVolution’

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Metal Obsession: ‘I am the reVolution’ seems to have gone for a mainstream pop influence, utilizing a more upbeat tempo. What drove Voyager to go in this direction with the new album?

Danny Estrin: Natural progression I guess. We didn’t set out to go more melodic/poppy or whatever. It’s definitely more upbeat though, in terms of tempo. Lyrically and melodically it’s quite a lot darker though. A lot of people have said we’ve found the perfect symbiosis of pop rock and metal and really delivered this on the new album. I’m very proud of it and I think this sound is definitely VOYAGER!

MO: The album seems to hold a very emotional connection with the listener, as the title of the album seems to signify self-empowerment. Is this the main message or concept behind the new album, or is it only natural for the listener to feel this good when they listen to ‘I am the reVolution’?

DE: Haha! I’m glad you feel good when you listen to it, that’s awesome. There’s actually no message of empowerment, except to say that the possibility to effect lies within the individual. The album is quite dark conceptually and deals with being lost in the information age, an age of fear and 1984 esque surveillance.

MO: The new single “The Devil in Me” seems to be doing quite well on Youtube at the moment. Whereabouts was the video clip shot, and who came up with the concept for the video?

Yeah, it did exceptionally well. I came up with the concept and Red Empire media did a great job putting it onto celluloid (or HD digital rather). The concept is essentially a guy who’s stuck in a boring office job and gets lured into an underground den by a luscious woman! It’s got a quasi-vampirical theme to it and it came out awesome. It was shot mainly at Deville’s pad in Perth, a great club and a perfect location for the video.

MO: I hear Voyager recently took out the award for best song at Perth’s prestigious WAM Awards for ‘Total Existence Failure’ off ‘I am the reVolution’. You guys must be very proud of this award, as it’s from the band’s home town?

DE: Definitely. It’s a great honour to be awarded this and it shows that the scene over here is very strong!

MO: Voyager will soon take part in a national tour to support the release of ‘I am the reVolution’. Three shows have been announced so far, are there anymore to be announced soon?

DE: There will definitely be some more early next year, we’re dying to get to Brisbane, Adelaide and NZ. Then hopefully some Asian shows and who knows, we might even get back to Europe!

MO: I assume many local metal fans have not had the pleasure to see Voyager live, yet. For those misfortunate, what can they expect from this upcoming national tour?

DE: Whether you like the music or not, you’ll be 100% entertained. I can’t stand to watch boring bands who don’t put on a show. We put on a show and have a ball at every show. It’s fun-filled and intense, and expect some serious singing along!

MO: In recent months Voyager has joined the long list of bands supported by Riot! Entertainment Australia. Voyager must be very proud that they not only have good exposure in the European market, but now Australia too?

DE: Definitely. I mean, uniVers was released through RIOT as well, but we’ve signed with them locally for this album, so it’s going very well. It’s great to know that your CD is available in all the major stores!

MO: Speaking of Europe. Has there been much demand for Voyager in Europe of late. Are there plans to tour Europe again in the near future?

DE: Well, we’ve toured Europe twice and it was awesome! There’s a big demand for us to go over again but we really want to make sure we get Australia covered this time, we’ve been neglecting it a bit and we know we have a great fanbase here!

MO: How has it been working with Dockyard1. Are you and the guys in Voyager comfortable with how things are going at the moment with the label?

DE: To be honest, I’m not sure exactly how much Dockyard 1 are doing at the moment. They were definitely great for uniVers I just gotta make sure they’re doing the best they can for I am the reVolution!

MO: With all these giant international tours being announced for the end of the year and early 2010, we would expect to see Voyager supporting one, or many of these bands. Have any promotional companies or bands in general approached Voyager in regards to supporting any upcoming shows (local or international) which you could share with us at Metal Obsession.net?

DE: Absolutely. We have NIGHTWISH, STEVE VAI, DEATHSTARS and many more under our belt in terms of support. We now work with an excellent manager who takes care of all that, so expect to see us touring the country with the bigger names!

MO: This is a personal question for you, Danny. Voyager have been in the local metal scene for well over 10 years now. During that time, Voyager have grown their reputation with steady touring and vigorous help from fans. From your personal perspective, how do you view the local metal scene at the moment. Not just in Perth, but Australia in general?

DE: It’s really good! It’s a very healthy bunch of bands who are getting international recognition! I mean, compare it to 10 years ago when there were few bands who were known outside Australia! A big thank you to all the fans for making that happen for us too!

MO: What are some of your favorite Australian metal acts at the moment?

DE: Big fan of LACRYMAE from Perth and I was also very impressed with ARCANE! Great stuff!

MO: Any final comments you wish to make before we finish up?

DE: I recommend all, not just metalfans, to give VOYAGER a try. The new album has something on it for everyone and it’s a magnificent compilation of catchy songs which are guaranteed to stick in your head! I’m very proud of it and look forward to playing some of it live to you all!

MO: Cheers for speaking with us at Metal Obsession. We wish you and Voyager the best of luck on the upcoming national tour. Can’t wait to see you guys in Melbourne.

DE: Neither can we, it’s going to be awesome!! Hope to see you all there, fists in the air, singing like you’ve never sung before.

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Come check out Voyager this November on their national Australian tour in support of ‘I am the reVoluion’, proudly supported by Metal Obsession.

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www.voyager-australia.com