Review by SilentScream213 for Lord Weird Slough Feg, The - Traveller (2003)
The Lord Weird Slough Feg – a band celebrated for bringing back good old-fashioned Traditional Heavy/US Power Metal. Even the vocals to this band are reminiscent of Mark “The Shark” of Manilla Road, and thematics are typically rooted in literature or mythology with a healthy dose of sci-fi. Essentially, very “nerdy” Metal.
Slough Feg do not try to be very dark or evil, nor do they go for overblown theatrics. The music is not layered with synths or symphonics, nor is it pushing any technical limits or progressive boundaries. Nay, Slough Feg is just Metal. It’s just fun. And for many, this has been enough to earn them praise, especially in a time where Metal bands were doing everything they could to be heavier, more experimental, more maximalistic, or even gimmicky. Slough Feg was just Slough Feg (Or The Lord Weird, if you will).
Anyway, about Traveller. Traveller is a narrative-driven sci-fi concept album about a smuggler-esque alien dogman. I mean, it goes way deeper than that, every detail based on the game of the same name. What, you haven’t heard of it? “Traveller is a science fiction role-playing game first published in 1977”! For the 72 people who have heard of this game, the album is (probably) an absolute treasure trove of deep and nerdy references. We follow our (anti) hero as he seeks revenge for the gene-splicing mutilation he’s forced to undergo, leading to galactic wars, and… yeah, it’s a fun time.
The music to Traveller is, as I mentioned before, pretty standard US Power Metal. And this is where I think the band starts to be a bit overrated. Traveller is definitely their best album, no doubt about that – not only does it have the fun concept, but it’s packed with energy, showcasing the band’s best drumming for sure and interesting songwriting choices. That being said, there are a very large number of USPM bands out there who have a “best album” that I’d put above this. It’s a good cut of the genre, but nothing I’d put in the USPM hall of fame or anything. The playing is good here, but in terms of memorable guitar melodies or choruses etc, it falls a bit flat.
Still, a great album, if overrated a bit. More fun than anything. Definitely rewards those who pay attention to lyrics. The best part of the album is probably the fact that is closes on the best song the band ever wrote, “Addendum Galactus.” Man, I love a good closer.