Jobie Reviews Music 111: Starship Velociraptor (album) by Jonathan Young and Galactikraken
- ChemicalSkylines
- Apr 24, 2021
- 2 min read
(requested by F63) Starship Velociraptor is a 2021 power metal/fantasy metal/pirate metal/keytarcore (I know that’s a lot of genres, but honestly this album could fit in all of them) (source: bandcamp page) by Jonathan Young and Galactikraken. It is 11 tracks long, spanning 44 minutes of music. The album is notable for its unique sci-fi metal theme. Its instrumentation reflects this, with 90s synth elements being part of the album’s composition.
At first glance, the idea of “metal band in space” (which is what the album is about, in a nutshell) might sound a little silly to you. That’s alright, because honestly I’ve never seen anyone attempt this idea before. That’s another great thing about this album - the idea itself is actually really novel, and I haven’t yet listened to an album that matches this theme.
That being said, the quality of the music is outstanding. From its incorporation of 90s synths (and other instruments, too!), which are sure to be nostalgic for some, to its kickass power metal instrumentation which accompanies these 90s elements, the album’s composition is simply like no other. There’s no way that you could listen to this album and not appreciate the fact that the album’s sound is incredibly original.
Jonathan Young’s signature beyond description vocals are another addition to this album’s list of amazing qualities. The instrumentals on their own would sound amazing, but Jonathan Young’s vocals are the cherry on top of this entire album. He delivers the soundtrack-esque lyrics flawlessly, his vocals making each track pop. It’s simply amazing how good of a job Young did with the vocal work on this album.
I also have to praise the lyrics themselves, which have a goofy feel to them (which you probably already guessed, based on the fact that the theme of the album is “metal band in space"), but still manage to be creative and enjoyable to listen to. Young’s songwriting on this album is absolutely amazing, and you have to listen to the album to really appreciate it, so I won’t spoil any of the lyrics here.
I find it simply mind boggling that an album is this amazing. Each track delivers the perfect combination of everything I’ve just mentioned, standing out on their own at the same time. The track “Army of Tigers” in particular goes a bit harder (read: the track is heavier) than other tracks on the album, having a slightly faster pace than the others. Absolutely amazing.
My favorite tracks from this album are “Glory or Gold”, “Hyperspeed”, “Man the Cannons”, and “Final Frontier”.
Overall, Spaceship Velociraptor is not an album that you want to sleep on. From its novel theme to its insanely high quality production, you won’t regret listening to this album. Coupled with the fact that it’s also available for free on both YouTube and bandcamp, there’s no excuse not to listen to this one for yourself. Highly recommend.
Overall rating:
9.7/10
LINK TO ALBUM:
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