Hugo's Voyage - Inception (Frontiers Music SRL)

For decades there has been a void. That void was created when Steve Perry negotiated his way out of Journey back in 1998. Perry made out like a bandit financially, but jilted fans were left at the rock and roll altar for the second time in a little more than 10 years' time. Journey was a band before Steve, and the conventional wisdom believed that the band could go on without him. 25 years and 3 lead singers later, the band continues, but has never recaptured the magic that was the Steve Perry era. The band has so far recorded 5 full length albums and contributed to the highly successful Armageddon Soundtrack. But Perry's absence from the band has left a gaping, sentimental hole. Each subsequent attempt to replace him has been an exercise in futility and pragmatism. Find someone who can hit the notes. Ironically, it's on again, off again drummer Deen Castronovo who might be the best imitation as a member of Neal Schon's offshoot band Journey Through Time. And as time marches on, it gets harder for current singer Arnel Pineda to maintain the legacy. Pineda now 56, has lost a lot of his doppelganger credentials. Early on he made fans forget about Steve Perry with enthusiasm and athleticism. But 15 years later it's wearing thin. And with the 74-year-old Perry constantly teasing the possibility of new music, some fans have become disenchanted with the whole Journey franchise. With that said, the band is still selling out large arenas despite not having the magic they once had. 

On the other hand, Hugo Valenti has been fooling audiences now for decades. His band Voyage is the top Journey tribute band in the world. And Hugo's vocal cords appear to be intact. At age 60, Valenti sounds more like the old Steve Perry than anyone else on the scene. Hugo employs every last one of Perry's vocal licks. The elongated notes moving from one key to another. The OH-EE-OH vocal exaggerations. It's patterned after Perry who borrowed it from Sam Cooke. It's something Pineda doesn't really do in the current Journey. 

Voyage was doing fine playing the old Journey classics to packed houses. But Hugo was inspired during the lockdowns. He began writing and the results are breathtaking. The melodies and production are classic Journey and even tap into solo Steve Perry material. Guitarist Robbie Hoffman is tasteful and complimentary to the legacy of Neal Schon. 

There are 12 songs on Inception, one of them an instrumental which is the title track to the album. There is also a Boston influence on this record as well. The first single, "Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" is an instant classic. The keyboard intro alone is a showstopper. After a few songs, it feels like a Steve Perry album. Hugo's voice is so close it becomes part of your Perry consciousness. There are subtle differences, but nobody comes closer than Hugo. "I'll Be Around" has everything a fan of the early Perry years could want. An up-tempo instrumental flurry of layered guitars and melodic soloing at the end. It sounds like a lost track from Infinity. "Sound of a Broken Heart" feels like a leftover from Steve Perry's 1984 album Street Talk. Hugo understands that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. He does this again on the beautiful "In My Heart." The song is somewhat reminiscent of Journey's Still They Ride. Honestly there are so many reference points, that it's hard to cite them all. You will find your own. 

"Crazy What Love Can Do" has a groove much like that of Suzanne from Raised on Radio. The melodies are all nostalgic yet original. These are new music shoes with old soles on them. "September Love" is a pure power ballad with soaring lead vocals and harmonies. Drummer Dana Spellman adds a soulful backbeat to every last one of these songs. "The Voyage" is a tune named after the band (think Bad Company by Bad Company). It's a high flying, soulful mid-tempo rocker. Maybe even a tad progressive which might be a nod to Journey albums like Departure and Evolution. Legendary bassist Greg Smith handles the bottom end like a pro, cause well, he is one. His presence just adds more credibility to this project. Keyboardist Lance Miller has got his Jonathan Cain mojo kicking throughout. There are jazzy and classical references throughout. His work on the album's opening instrumental title track is brilliant. 

Inception is not bashful about its love for the 80's. A great example would be the lite rock favorite, "A Friend Like You" (featuring Ray Hermann from the band Chicago on saxophone). This is a radio programmers dream. The entire album. Hugo closes things out with the very personal and poignant "When Heaven Makes An Angel". Somewhat outside the Journey template, it makes for a nice ending to a perfect set of Steve Perry sounding music. It's all here. Even skeptics will embrace this as something that they've been missing all of these years. Better late than never. Inception is the best melodic rock album of 2023. It was badly needed at this point in rock music history. I'm thinking Steve Perry might even like it.

(album rating 10.0)