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TRAVELER
Termination Shock

Gates Of Hell (2020)
Rating: 6/10

Calgary, Canada-based posse Traveler play bright n’ breezy 80s styled metal that I do enjoy, but just can’t get overly excited about. For me, all this “new wave of new wave” thing is starting wear thin even if it’s doing great things for the future of metal. But ultimately, it just makes me delve back into the record collection for the old gems which inspired this band’s second full-length studio album Termination Shock.

I hear tracks such as ‘Shaded Mirror’ and I enjoy the glint and gallop, but there are no frills. The title track speeds things up and brings a decidedly Teutonic haste, while ‘Foreverman’ adds extra crunch and fizzing aplomb.

Yep, it’s solid, brisk heavy metal with an equally no frills vocal croon, and that’s all I can really say. Damn, I’ve heard people rave about these guys but it’s as if they’ve never heard another metal band, because Traveler, through all their effort and prowess, are just another band inspired by countless acts before.

‘Diary Of A Maiden’ begins with effective hammering steel and the track is certainly pivotal; the melodic subtleties are appreciated as the song builds nicely within its six-minute time frame. I also really like the glinting steel of ‘STK’ and particularly the aggressive banger that is ‘Deepspace’. However, when the 80s suffered through an overwhelming glut of Iron Maiden / Judas Priest styled bands, I didn’t expect several decades later to be faced by the same situation.

Sure, it’s great that the kids are donning the denim and worshipping the past, but I just don’t see these current albums being remembered years down the line. They may fill a hole for now, but acts such as Traveler will fall by the wayside… although not before this new breed of fan hunts me down and burns me at the stake for criticising such a heap of standard yet mildly entertaining metal.

If you like driving metal that is at times deft and devious, and are caught up in this trend whereby older acts such as Enforcer are kings and newer acts such as Riot City are princes, then I’m sure you’ll take a risk dabbling in such fires. After all, it’s all metal at the end of the day. For me, however, I just like to see bands stand out from such a vast crowd of armour, and Traveler’s sophomore outing just doesn’t do enough.

Neil Arnold

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