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The mystical 13th album by the unkillable Manilla Road is finally here. As always, this band disappeared after the release of Gates Of Fire, and no one knew when or if they might re-emerge until this album surfaced on new label My Graveyard. Once again, armed with mighty riffs and haunting melodies, this ancient band creates a new masterwork of epic Heavy Metal.

Building on the monolithic crunch of their last album, MR have filled Voyager with some massive riffery. The 'intro' segment "Tomb of the Serpent King" maybe goes on a tad long, but then this band has never been given to doing things halfway. Once "Butchers of the Sea" cranks up, you will start to bang your head like a mongoloid. Other crushing highlights include "Blood Eagle", "Voyager", and the brutal "Return of the Serpent King". Yet there are more moody, melodic tunes on here, as befits a MR album, and "Tree of Life" may be the best song here. "Eye of the Storm" is a quiet, gloomy song with Mark Shelton digging into his deepest, darkest voice ever.

Speaking of Mark, he's back at the helm solo this time, and his voice once again embodies everything about this band. His melodic voice has always been a bit nasal, and is an acquired taste, but it's good to have him back. Is harsh vocals have rarely sounded fiercer, and as always his guitar leads are magnificent.

This is a total Manilla Road album, and any fan of their old or their new eras will find much here to love. They have been working to combine their classic sound with their newer, more accessible direction, and this album is their best effort yet. It does not quite touch the mastery of Spiral Castle — really, nothing may ever do that — but this is an excellent album all the same.