It seems like yesterday when I did a review on TRAVELER‘s debut album. At that point of time the band had created a buzz around them, thanks to their excellent demo. The debut album was a flawless example of classic retro Heavy Metal, managed to elevate the status of the band as one of the most promising acts on the Heavy Metal underground.
TRAVELER are now ready to release their second “Termination shock” album. And IMO this release marks a very important still risky step for them. Well I always had huge respect for bands that didn’t let opportunities to pass them by, and the same goes with TRAVELER: They are not loosing time, offering a new album, just a single year after the debut, while their name is still a hot subject of discussion among the underground fans worldwide and while there are still people who are discovering their first record. They even set the time schedule perfectly, almost matching the album’s release period with their European dates (a tour that did not end the best way thanks to the Corona Virus attack but this is another story). The above facts and -much most importantly- the music itself have generated big expectations for this very next step which is called “Termination Shock”.
First things first I must point that the overall vibe of the album is very positive and the music included in there, will excite every single TRAVELER fan. Just like the first album, the listener can spot a wide variety of influences in the new one. IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST set the classic Heavy Metal basis in here, while more melodic bands like PRETTY MAIDS, BONFIRE, ELIXIR, HEAVY PETTIN’, BLITZKRIEG and even HELLOWEEN and STORMWITCH can be mentioned as serious influences on the new stuff.
There is a constant flirt with Hard Rock and / or Melodic Metal formulas in songs like “Shaded Mirror”, “Foreverman”, “Diary of a Maiden” and “After the Future” while there are some amazing Heavy / Speed Metal outbreaks on songs like “Deepspace” or on the title “Termination Shock” track.
One of the top moments on this release is without doubt the “STK” song which was originally written by DEAF DEALER‘s bassist, Jean-Pierre Fortin and was eventually gifted to TRAVELER! Jean-Pierre, brought the main riffs idea and DEAF DEALER’s guitarist Marc Brassard helped to mix it together along with the solo part. Well this particular song carries all the force of the DEAF DEALER spirit and adds lots of bonus point to the new TRAVELER album (it is needless to say that the entire FS team considers DEAF DEALER’s “Journey into Fear” album as the TOP release of Canadian Steel and if you are reading those lines and still have not checked it, you would better go for it as soon as possible).
Getting back into the TRAVELER stuff I would have to point one more thing: There were many parts inside the songs where I discovered some recycled musical ideas that drove my mind straightly back to the band’s debut album. This may work positively for many people out there but I was one of those who have set big expectations for a massive breakthrough as far as the compositions of the new album. It seems that the band played safe this time, leaving outside of this particular record those masterpieces that would stick em high on the list of Canadian Classics, yes I know that they are able to compose such songs. Probably on the next album.
Well, I had a fun time listening to the album and I am sure that it would manage to keep TRAVELER on the spot of “talented newcomers”. But I am also sure that they deserve something much more than this, so they perhaps should spend more time on the composing process and release an album that would make em shine even more. Until then I would put some more beers on the fridge and I would spin “Termination Shock” some more times. Cheers!
Check the discussion about the album on our forum pages.
Want to hear more two more songs from the album? Check our radio show:
