Review by Alex on October 3, 2019.

Death metal trio Voimaton conduct themselves a bit differently in comparison to the scores of new bands being formed. What they are getting their hands into and the way they are going about it calls for some recognition. Titled Demo 2019, the Chicago based group stands cemented in the mucky foundations of death and doom metal the old 90s way but with some pleasant additions and peripheral clarity to make-out what's moving about the mist. Most likely your first reference will be Incantation and Asphyx once hearing this debut demo and you'll be right; however, I find potential for expansion in Voimaton's methodology, particularly in their doom metal characteristics. This 16-minute demo shelters itself under the roof of the genre amidst a time of self-discovery but takes a step closer towards embracing a slightly risky approach whilst settling in the territories of Swedish, Finish and American death metal with some hardcore and stoner doom elements.

On this demo Voimaton appear to be establishing or seeking the right stance regarding their sound and technique; almost like building a recipe in search of what works and what does not. Thereby, a bit of character is to be heard in the recordings with ‘Erudition’ exhibiting the makeup through that HM2 Swedish tone, the hardcore midtempo in groove and their steady juggle among the thrash, doom and death metal aspects. Even a bit of stoner doom lifts its fuzzy head on the opening moments of ‘Primal’ which leads towards a hardcore, bruiser-style of playing, whilst ‘Apotheia’ borrows a bit of the stoner traits to stitch into its fabric. And in closing, Voimaton then choose to stay within the muddy, motionless tracts of doom/death metal, thereby providing an implication stating the backbone of their music is still under development.

Voimaton’s overall approach is predominantly death/doom metal but with the addition of some miscellany. What I admire is the way each element progresses and grooves into the other, such as on ‘Primal’ that is seemingly the best of the 3 tracks. Rather climatic and better written in comparison to the other tracks, hence this highlight should remain as a keystone of Voimaton’s future recordings. As said before, the band seems to be getting a feel of things, that’s the purpose of a demo, and with a head filled with ideas, Voimaton are certainly playing with their potential. The will to expand their sound is present throughout the demo, what remains to be heard is how and what elements will be selected and utilized as staples of their identity.

Rating: 6.9 out of 10

Review by Adam M on May 19, 2017.

Voyager cruises forward with more solid progressive music. The songs are like ear candy and will ingrain themselves in your brain. Ghost Mile is the kind of album that is crazily addictive and won’t get out of your head. It has streamlined guitar work that is complemented by wonderful keyboards in a manner that elevates the music. In fact, all elements of the musical experience are top notch here. There is an intertwining to the instruments that is wonderful to behold and makes them poignant upon their intersection. The songs are relatively simplistic for progressive metal, but this just makes them excellently streamlined.

Voyager has developed this straightforward prog approach and it is perfected to the utmost degree here. The riffs are really neat sounding and have a easy to listen to factor added to them. This leads to a sound that is distinctive and clearly the one that Voyager performs. Musically, the elements all come together. Most notably is the vocals, which are very commercial sounding, yet add to the atmosphere of the songs. The guitar riffs are also somewhat candy coated and are very accessible sounding. The overall sound of the band is like nothing else and is commendable. The only problem with this disc is that it sounds much like the band’s other material. There is very little deviation from a strong template that is formed and this is still welcome because one accepts this music as the strong stuff it is.

Voyager is a nice entry to the progressive metal genre because they fill the gap for this type of a straightforward band. Don’t think the music is simple, however, as there are tons of breakdowns and the band has a futuristic sound that is somewhat difficult to pigeonhole. The bottom line is that anyone looking for a strong progressive release will be well served to check out Ghost Mile.

Rating: 8.2 out of 10