Back to the recording action for the Canadians, half of them that is, Traveler. The Calgary outfit hits with their third work in just five years as their self-titled debut album came out in 2019 and immediately, in 2020, they released “Termination Shock”.
Speaking the truth, I had found “Termination Shock” a click below their debut. To my ears it sounded like a rushed record. Not bad but definitely not that well-crafted either. It took the band four years to get their new work out. In this time span I’m sure the pandemic played a role. Either way I took this as a good sign.
And I was not wrong. Beyond a standard introduction it is clear that the material is worked to the hilt. Traveler’s endearing US metal from opener Take The Wheel grabs the listener by the throat and leaves little room for second thoughts. The majority of the compositions are quite furious but that doesn’t mean that in the slower moments the material has anything to envy. On the contrary I found Rebels Of Earth to be my favorite from the first listen of the album!
Also excellent are Vagrants Of Time and the title track which closes the album and is the longest in duration. Traveler have found their footing again and on the new album they sound very tight. Very good work in the production field but also the album cover which, yes, continues in the same pattern as their previous works but now the blue and black has been replaced by yellow and green.
In conclusion I will say that “Prequel To Madness” is a comeback album for the band and I believe that it sets new foundations for their future works. At the same time I’m sure that it will definitely be on several genre lists for 2024!
