Dead Meadow’s highly anticipated tenth studio album Voyager to Voyager marks a defining moment in their illustrious 26-year journey. Revered as a pioneering force in the heavy psychedelic rock scene since their formation in the late '90s, the band delivers not only their most emotionally charged and sonically expansive album to date but also a powerful tribute to their brother, late bassist Steve Kille, whose battle against cancer and untimely passing in early 2024 has made it the poignant end of a chapter in the band’s history.
Written and recorded across three intense sessions in downtown LA’s Ultrasound Studios, Voyager to Voyager perfectly encapsulates Dead Meadow’s raw energy and creative chemistry. During the sessions, the band worked quickly, using only the first or second take to preserve the immediacy found in their live show, with drummer Mark Laughlin delivering some of his best performances to date. Its creation, however, was shaped by personal hardship.
In early 2023, the trio began writing and recording, but it wasn’t until later that year that bassist Steve Kille’s health began to decline. In January 2024, just weeks before the final tracking sessions, he was diagnosed with cancer but remained steadfast, fueling the band’s resolve to stay on course and finish the album.
As they entered Dave Grohl’s legendary Studio 606 to mix the record, Steve’s health continued to deteriorate, yet his creative influence and presence were felt throughout the process, even as he was confined to a couch during the final mixing sessions. However, the final mixes didn’t quite capture the magic they had hoped for.
Guitarist and vocalist Jason Simon reflects, “The famed Sound City Neve board did impart a certain mojo but jumping into an unfamiliar space can be tricky and some of the mixes didn't feel quite right. So I decided to start over, mixing the record at my own studio. The task was herculean, but in the end the new mixes felt like they should, like classic Dead Meadow. I’m really happy with how each song turned out, and I know Steve would agree.”
The result is an album that is unmistakably Dead Meadow: expansive, melody-driven, and deeply rooted in their unique sound — one that honors both their roots and the cosmic imagery that defines Voyager to Voyager. Lyrically, the album delves into themes of space, isolation, and human connection, with the opening track, “The Space Between,” drawing from the theory of the universe's continual expansion as a metaphor for strained relationships.
The title track “Voyager to Voyager” reflects Simon’s fascination with the two Voyager spacecrafts — humanity’s farthest traveling creation, now venturing into interstellar space as well as representing a message between travelers, an understanding shared between those who have embarked on a genuine journey, whether together or apart. Steve Kille’s passing in April 2024 has made this whole album all the more meaningful.
"We’ve lost a bandmate, a brother, a friend, and a creative partner on this voyage of 26 years as Dead Meadow," Simon says. "We are so very thankful to have this LP of new material, as Steve laid down his final bass line shortly before he became too sick to really play.”
While Voyager to Voyager is anything but a tribute album, it does ultimately stand as a celebration of Kille’s immeasurable legacy. His unique and endlessly creative bass playing helped shape Dead Meadow’s sound while his singular artistic vision created iconic album covers and defined the band’s visual identity.
With Voyager to Voyager, Dead Meadow once again affirms their place in the pantheon of modern psych rock by pushing their sound to new heights, all the while honoring the deep creative bond they have shared through nearly three decades of melting minds worldwide… and perhaps even beyond that time and space continuum. The end of a chapter and a cosmic journey we shall embrace fully.
