Album Title: Termination Shock
Genre/ Subgenre: Heavy Metal
Label: Gates of Hell Records
Release Date: April 24, 2020
Canadian heavy metal band Traveler are back, only a year after their killer, self-titled debut set the metal world a blaze and earned high marks from your humble reviewer. But, as great as that release was, Terminal Shock, is even better.
The band stick to their old-school metal sound, but dig even deeper into their speed metal influences, concocting their fast tracks yet. They achieve this while keeping the melody of their heavily Iron Maiden and Judas Priest inspired style. They even add a little bit of a progressive style, in certain parts of songs. The summation of all these parts is a album that fucking rips from start to finish. One that will have you headbanging, playing air-guitar, throwing up the devil-horns, and signing right along.
Every song is an absolute and complete winner. The opening track, "Shaded Mirror", erupts with Maidenesque riffs and driving drums. This fucker totally rips as it gallops and then speeds up with AJ Abbound's awesome soaring vocals accompanying it to bring the track to headbanging heaven. Speaking of fast music, the title track is just that as it goes into a perfect, full on assault of speed metal. "Dairy of a Maiden" has this great mid-tempo, propelling, and epic sound as the band delves into a bit more a of a progressive style. And, as fast and ass kicking as the band are, they aren't above slowing things down for the first half of the haunting and powerful "After the Future". The track's second part is full of energy and makes for a great and ascending song. As such, it is one of the album's top gems, especially, the more intently that you listen to it.
The same tentacle monster from their first album's cover appears on this one. I guess this makes him the band's official mascot. The cool sci-fi image of him aiming a laser cannon at a black hole is the perfect accompaniment to the science fiction filled lyrics of the record.
With only their second album, Traveler have made the type of albums some bands that record material for years can't achieve. Every song is so amazing that I could spend hours writing about each of them. And, with their incredible degree of talent, they are without a shadow of a doubt the future of the traditional metal music. Make no bones about it, this album will rank very high among 2020's best releases! And, that is because it is quite simply fucking awesome!!
5 out of 5
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