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TRAVELER - Traveler - 5/105/10
Summary
Gates Of Hell Records
Release date: February 22, 2019
User Review
( votes)Traveler is the self titled debut release from Canadian Metal band Traveler. Began as a side project by Gatekrashor and Hrom guitarist Matt Ries, the initial three song demo gained enough attention for a full lineup and a full length album to be done. Traveler includes the original three songs from the demo, and five new songs. The line up includes Ries on guitar, vocalist Jean Pierre Abboud, drummer Chad Vallier, guitarist Toryin “Junior” Shadlich and bassist Dave Arnold. The record is pretty lackluster production wise. Too much reverb on vocals, buzz saw guitar sounds. Track 4, “Konamized” is a two minute instrumental that really isn’t worth including.
This record could have truly benefited from an outside producer. Lots of little things that could’ve been done better that would have yielded a much better finished product. The band definitely has talent. But the record does not do them justice. If the listener were handed this CD and told this was the best band in town, it would be very believable. If the listener were handed this record and told it was a national level release, there would be head scratching. Decent songs. Decent execution. Traveler is worth a listen, but probably not two.
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Got to disagree here, I found this record to be one of the best traditional metal records to be released this decade. Passionate and piercing vocals, catchy guitar riffs, pounding percussion and just all around great musicianship. I loved this album on first listen and weirdly enough the album has gotten even better with subsequent listens. The “lackluster” production adds charm to me, makes me feel like I am listening to those late 80’s USPM classics. This album would get a 94/100 from me, and there is a possibility that rating can go even higher since I might have gave it a 90 on first listen but it keeps on getting better after each listen. I mean I usually am so ADD that I skip slow songs, but “Fallen Heores” was so riveting it chilled me to the bone (maybe the fact I walked by a 9/11 memorial as I was listening to the song added to this feeling, I don’t know). A song like “Scream Machine” is makes me shake my head in awe, it just makes me feel, I don’t know, happy? I just feel warm all over, it just delights me to listen to music like that. The album’s opening song,”Starbreaker,” Is just an epic opener to me, it just is delivered with passion and feeling that can be felt in every part of the band’s performance. Songs like “Behind the Iron,” “mindless maze” and “speed queen,” I mean these songs are excellent, if there is too much reverb on the vocals I just don’t notice it. I guess I feel that this album is excellent across the board and I just find it hard to believe one could even rate it a 5/10 because the production could have been a little better. But I guess that just shows music is subjective, everyone has different opinions and no one is wrong.