Artist: Now, Voyager
Release: Tell-Tale Hearts (EP)
Release Date: Out now
Now, Voyager have exactly the same problem that Hamlet did. They’re indecisive. Despite this at times unfortunate character trait, there’s very little rotten in ‘Tell-Tale Hearts’. I’d really hoped to pull off the ‘rotten in the state of Denmark’ joke there but Now Voyager are Belgian. A Belgian band with obvious mathcore influences who also flirt with post-rock soundscapes and more mainstream song writing.
You can already see where that indecision comes from. The band can’t decide if they want to be dynamic or full throttle. It actually makes them more interesting than some of their peers. Their ferocious thrashing is broken up by the more melodic and introspective moments which in turn makes the heavier sounds here carry much more impact. On the other hand there also a couple of points where the considerable momentum that Now, Voyager pick up during their tracks gets lost because of those fighting influences. Unusually this is probably down to the length of the tracks. The whole EP clocks in at less than eighteen minutes, and it means that all those conflicting influences are condensed when they sometimes need time to breathe. ‘To The Heart’ proves that given the space to breathe the band’s opposing dynamics can be incredibly effective. ‘To The Heart’ sounds like the best song Devil Sold His Soul never wrote. No small praise.
Now, Voyager certainly have the potential to become dear to the hearts of many with their emotive and visceral music. A bit of patience next time round might see them start to take things a whole further a whole lot faster.
8/10
Review by: Calum McMillian
