Review Summary: Tanith hangs onto that old school spark with Voyage
Just as it seemed like 2019’s In Another Time was destined to be a stellar one-off, Tanith returns with their second album. True to its title, Voyage offers more of the same pulpy escapism with catchy dual vocal trade-offs, rousing rhythms, and flamboyant guitars that tread the line between hard rock and classic metal with seventies prog gusto. But even with this album essentially serving as a continuation from the debut, its execution puts in a different perspective.
With the band having previously established themselves with upbeat energy, it only makes sense for Voyage to double down. Despite the periodic flourishes of acoustic guitar throughout the opening “Snow Tiger” would suggest, their folk side is largely downplayed with the playing geared more toward harder-hitting drums and heavier bass and guitar gallops. It’s not quite at the aggressive level to fully push them into the metal realm and they never lose sight of those vocal-driven refrains and mystical aura.
And while much of the songwriting comes with upbeat deliveries, the individual tracks are still quite varied. “Falling Wizard” puts in an assertive hard rock strut, “Architects of Time” offers a more grandiose mid-tempo March, and “Flame” is a light melodic rock number elevated by an especially hopeful chorus. The high-speed flailing on ”Adrasteia” and “Seven Moons (Galantia Pt. 2)” also stands out, the former coming close to channeling Satan (the band) and the latter tempered with a spacey interlude ala Farewell to Kings-era Rush.
Overall, Tanith manages to hang onto the old school spark with Voyage. While its more driving edge would suggest an immediate listener, the back half taking a little extra time to digest can give it some grower appeal. I might prefer In Another Time for the time being, but this comes with the same fun playing and wistful style. Either way m, anybody who likes their protometal with extra arcane flair can consider both of Tanith’s albums essential listening.
