Coming four years after Termination Shock, and boasting a new rhythm section, no less, Traveler’s third album is, strangely, a bit of a wild card. Yes, the self-titled debut and the band’s sophomore release were and remain standout, almost foolproof slabs of trad metal. And as Last Rites’ own Ryan Tysinger noted in his review of the latter, the band even shed a little skin on Termination Shock to fully embrace the Deaf Dealer influence.
But a lot can—and did—happen in the years since Traveler’s sophomore release. Sacred Outcry, Triumpher, Heavy Load, Gatekeeper, Legendry, and Stray Gods all released exceedingly fantastic albums in 2023 alone. Is there room for Traveler’s brand of trad in 2024? No doubt, four years is not ideal, particularly when your new label has released recent gems like Riders of the Ancient Storm, Time Immortal Wept, Glory, and Towers of Gold. But of course, the obvious answer is yes.
Prequel to Madness may in fact be Traveler’s strongest record to date. Its pace is more consistent than Termination Shock. And its songwriting tighter than the self-titled. Certainly, it has some of the band’s catchiest songs in “The Law” and “Rebels of Earth.” Though this is the cleanest Traveler has sounded, the production is appropriately robust. The heavier rhythm section doesn’t hurt.
There’s a confidence here that presents itself more obviously on the anthemic and more melodic songs, “Rebels of Earth” being the clearest example. Dating back to “Fallen Heroes” from their debut album, Traveler has always been good at penning pace-changers. “Rebels,” however, doesn’t have that same sixth man or role player type feel—serving the greater purpose. Rather, despite its placement in the middle of the album, it feels more lead single than gap-filler.
Normally I might be inclined to argue that, as was somewhat true of its predecessors, the whole of Prequel to Madness is greater than the sum of its parts. But that’s simply not as true here. Though Traveler, here, is as consistently excellent as they were on the debut and Termination Shock, there’s a gamble and hook with songs such as “Rebels of Earth” and the title track, and those somewhat novel aspects elevate the album, and these songs, to new heights.