Those who have been following the career of the super-talented Hugo Valenti over the decades, know very well that in the last few years he has focused on a cover band… sorry, I’m rephrasing: the BEST Journey cover band. Voyage play sold-out shows at major venues on the other side of the Atlantic and if you really want to see the closest thing to Steve Perry, put Voyage on YouTube and you’ll remember me! To give you an idea of what I mean, in the surreal scenario of Journey (as they are today) playing in the same city on the same day as Voyage, I’ll personally choose Voyage! No second thoughts or doubt about it!
Voyage releases its first album of original material and the result is impressive! For those who miss those glory days of Journey with Steve Perry behind the mic, then all the tunes here will take you back to those unforgettable years. Hugo’s voice is eerily close to Perry’s and even his whole look directly references the legendary singer. Robby Hoffman’s guitar sound is reminiscent of Neal Schon’s impeccable tone and sound while all the other members do a truly flawless job. All the tracks in “Inception” are an AOR feast and give you the feeling that the album could have been released somewhere in 1982/83 since the whole atmosphere brings in mind classic East Coast recordings of the day (Power Station Studios, anyone?). Obviously, Journey is the main core of Voyage’s inspiration since the vast majority of the songs refer to the 1978-1983 period of the band’s illustrious catalogue.
All in all, we’re talking about an excellent debut album that proves in every detail that Hugo and the other members of Voyage are not only flawless musicians but also charismatic songwriters. And that’s truly significant.
Highlight: 2 years ago 20th Century Music released “Demos From The Attic” that included unreleased songs by Valentine, Hugo’s former band.
