VOYAGER

Voyager was birthed in a surge of creative energy beginning in the winter of 2008. Members of the recently dismantled Boston based death metal outfit, Waking Judea, Mion, Toye and drummer Keith Gentile reunited at a Massachusetts studio for a series of writing sessions. Firm believers in the idea that louder is better, and that even songs nearing the 10-minute mark can be catchy, a number of musical sketches were drawn, eventually coalescing into "Surfacing," a crushing epic of melancholy an...

Voyager was birthed in a surge of creative energy beginning in the winter of 2008. Members of the recently dismantled Boston based death metal outfit, Waking Judea, Mion, Toye and drummer Keith Gentile reunited at a Massachusetts studio for a series of writing sessions. Firm believers in the idea that louder is better, and that even songs nearing the 10-minute mark can be catchy, a number of musical sketches were drawn, eventually coalescing into "Surfacing," a crushing epic of melancholy and melody. Shortly after, second guitarist Ryan Decker and bassist Luke Murray were added, rounding out the line-up, which would tour together in the following months. It was then that North Carolina based label, Forgotten Empire, signed on Voyager to release their ethereal five song debut. Produced by Jay Maas, guitarist of hardcore standouts Defeater and owner/engineer for Getaway Group Recording, Maas ingeniously harnessed Voyager's heavy, melancholy tones, layering upon them to create an uncompromising wall of sound. Drawing influence from the riff-heavy styles of bands such as Black Sabbath and Crowbar, while incorporating the dense atmospheric sounds of acts such as Neurosis and Jesu, the group's self-titled debut record reverberates with passion, precision, and probably a few other fancy descriptive words that no one gives a shit about. Within a few short months, the band had sold out the initial pressing of 1,000 copies (and subsequently all drive BMWs now). After almost a year's time, other commitments led to the exit of Decker and Murray from the band. Following an extended period of intermittent live shows around the Northeast with friends Sal Lardizzone and Matt Giordano taking the place of the departed original members, as of spring 2010 Brian Barbaruolo and Sean Harrington have joined full-time to fill the void. The newly solidified lineup will be entering Planet Z studios with renowned producer Zeuss this fall to track their long-delayed sophomore full-length record, which will see a release through up-and-coming San Francisco independent label Creator-Destructor. VOYAGER: PJ Mion - guitars Devin Toye - vocals / electronics Keith Gentile - drums / electronics Brian Barbaruolo - bass Sean Harrington - guitars