JUPITER HOLLOW

[Originally published at The Progressive Aspect]

Back in 2017, a friend suggested that I check out an EP by a young Canadian duo. The EP was Odyssey and the duo were Jupiter Hollow. That EP was amazing, and even more so for being made by just two young men. I was impressed enough to buy the album, but for whatever reason, I didn't bother to follow the band so was unaware there had been a follow-up until this year's Bereavement came to The Progressive Aspect for review. Bereavement is, apparently, a continuation of the story that was begun on Jupiter Hollow's debut album, AHDOMN. Having never heard of that, I figured I'd look it up ? whereupon I discovered that the title of the album seems to come from the initials of the song titles, four of which were very familiar to me. It seems that the only song from the Odyssey EP that wasn't reworked for the debut album was the title track. The remaining four appear in a different order, before two new tracks of far greater length.

But it is "missing" song Odyssey that the opening track of Bereavement most reminds me of, which is kind of neat as it brings all three releases together. It's a very subdued beginning to the album, compared to what I was expecting based upon Odyssey. However, I note that the new track order of the Odyssey songs does start AHDOMN on a similarly slower pace. But although it wasn't really what I was expecting, it's a beautiful acoustic introduction that makes me think of a mix of 2112-era Rush and Placebo played as Indian classical music via George Harrison.

After the delicate opening of L'Eau du Papineau (which given how reminiscent I find it of Odyssey should perhaps have been called 'L'Eau d'Ici'), I was expecting the album to take off, and yet instead the following Scarden Valley begins with a lovely piano passage and delicate vocals caught somewhere between A Perfect Circle and iamthemorning. It's getting on towards two minutes before there is any real increase in instrumentation, though the piano remains dominant ? until the first guitar solo of the album. These two tracks are, I guess, meant to be taken as one, as they are bookended by some spacey and glitchy sci-fi sound effects.

Finally, my attention is grabbed by third track, The Rosedale, where the album truly launches itself into the exosphere. Both musically and vocally, this song makes me think of a mix of the prog of Aussie bands such as Breaking Orbit and Karnivool, and the funk of Living Colour. It's the first track of the album where I get that feeling I did with the Odyssey EP, where I think, "Wow, this is just two guys!" This and the next couple of tracks all have a heaviness that is almost unrelenting and potentially overwhelming. Even when a quieter and more melodic passage finds its way in, the djenty heaviness comes back even harder. There are sounds and styles reminiscent of all kinds of heavier prog ? SikTh, Tool, The Mars Volta, TesseracT ? and it's all awesomely brought together in a bruising barrage of enjoyable excess.

Mandating Our Perceptions is a short interlude, clearly referencing in its title the far longer Mandating Our Existence from the previous album. I'm not familiar with that song, as I've still not listened to AHDOMN, so I can't say whether it reprises any theme or motif, but it does provide a quite welcome moment to recover from the preceding aural assault. A very brief moment, however, as the piano and multi-tracked wordless vocals lulled me into a somewhat false sense of security. The vocals build and build, in a manner more menacing than mollifying, before fading into background conversation and laughter from what sounds to be a large group of people ? and a sinister message that our time is up.

A brief drum solo then leads into Sawbreaker, which is possibly my favourite song on the album, hitting the balance perfectly between hardcore and melodic. There are moments I'm reminded of Muse, Pink Floyd, even My Chemical Romance, but not one of those bands ever sounded as heavy as this. Jupiter Hollow may have plenty of influences (and I'm not suggesting that any or all of the bands I am reminded of are influences at all), but they have created their own unique and vibrant aesthetic. And as much as I enjoyed Odyssey, the duo have clearly both expanded and refined their sound. This is a massive leap in quality, and as the majority of AHDOMN is made up from material from Odyssey, I am completely confident in saying this is the greatest album Jupiter Hollow have made. And it's not done yet.

With Extensive Knowledge, the sound is back to Rush, and another quieter moment of recovery. It's not an interlude this time but a full song, and a good one at that which just gives the kick-arse ending of Extensive Knowledge that much more impact. The sweet sound of birdsong segues into the final number, Solar Gift. It's the longest song on the album, and an epic finale. I will not be surprised if this turns out to be most people's favourite song here. Of course, that's if people listen to it, or even know about it. The Odyssey EP had huge promise, and I believe Jupiter Hollow were only around 18 to 20 years old when they made it. That makes them still in their early 20s now, and I think they must surely be one of the best new bands out there. Bereavement is not perfect. It's not a five star album. But it's very good.

Progressive metal can too easily be sterile or derivative. Even at its most complex it can sound formulaic. Jupiter Hollow create intelligent, challenging, and enjoyable compositions that are both powerful and emotive. Bereavement is the duo's best release yet, but if Jupiter Hollow continue on this upward trajectory there will be far greater albums ahead. It's a big if, though, as it can be a hard road to travel without recognition. I hope they find the audience they deserve because right now Jupiter Hollow are criminally unknown. After all, I knew the band existed (even bought their debut EP), but would have had no idea this new album existed (let alone their previous) if it hadn't come up for review. Don't let this one pass you by, as it almost did me.

JUPITER HOLLOW is an ambient progressive metal / rock duo, an alternative metal band, progressive metal, djent, a 21st century progressive rock band, a band without a label in my opinion because they are part of a lot of different countries. I read somewhere that JUPITER HOLLOW is an iconic next generation band, I believe so because they are Canadian and I like Canada. Two young prodigies who do not hesitate to drive the sword into the too protected territories of rock, yes that is for sure too. They are releasing their 3rd album there in a trend that some will compare directly or indirectly to TOOL, PERFECT CIRCLE, TESSERACT, KARNIVOOL or even somewhere PINK FLOYD. I prefer to say it right away, for prog and neo-prog maniacs, you will lose your last gray hairs! For those who have followed me for a little while, you know that you are going to be dealing with one of the bombs of this year 2020 quite simply. In short, an OMNI because draining here the quintessence of current and modern genres of this new century; therefore very nervous and bewitching progressive metal.

"L'Eau du Papineau" French title! (Is it really that stream over there?) Begins the album with a strange symphonic intro title, a half-acoustic, soft track, a little twirling guitar, a sound that will draw on 70s tones, a little LED ZEPPELIN "III", a bit of the old PINK FLOYD for the musical rendering, a title which refers to singular music and off labels. Well the birds must have been there for something. "Scarden Valley" pffffff! Entry by a classical piano then a title with increasingly high pitched voice, an adrenaline rush and a dantesque solo, one that we do not expect, a real moment of virtuosity just to ask questions about the final musical orientation with a "badly recorded" sound which puts you on your alert and which leaves pleasantly doubtful with this tune that came out of nowhere. "The Rosedale" a demented riff, a bit of "Whole Lotta Love", it's energetic, it's bordering on djent but still rock, the voice goes high at times, voice to THE DARKNESS, invasive tune, the rhythm section low -battery in place, sublime! TOOL here, some ANYONE for vocals and riffs; in short, we got into JUPITER HOLLOW with a confrontation of different musical genres, it is heavy and it moves. "Kipling Forest" pushes the sound even further with a bit of everything even louder, a symbiosis of FAITH NO MORE, TOOL and TESSERACT; chorus more complex fruity rock; it's dirty, raw, energetic and enjoyable. For those who adored the 1st piece it must be pure disappointment on the other hand, the voice juggles between softness and the voice screamed, chanted, growl, more musical almost orchestral break on a phrasing, aerial guitar then again rising voice and chorus. . I hear the voice of punk, death and then growl, the musical sections follow one another; there it becomes wickedly nervous, unstructured but melodic in its arrhythmia. The end with drums and fat bass as you wish plunges you into the dark djent in my opinion. "The Mill" goes on to a more alternative rock sound or even rock from the 2020s, still screaming THE DARKNESS voice, almost beautiful, melodious. The instruments seem to match naturally, it starts with rock at THE CULT in louder but well rhythmic, from NOIR DESIR à la française to rock well struck. The shouted end is superb as long as you are a little used to it, we are on 520 volts! The middle ground gets almost hovering, a bit like the best 30 'TO MARCH! There it is, we say to ourselves that the chronicler is lost, that he has unscrewed his head and his ears and that we must deny him from the PROG world.

"Mandating Our Perception" interlude of purity on the piano then arrival of celestial voices, invasive synth, voices, backing vocals come to you to caress you, then others with tears and then overwhelming voices, a pure moment of happiness. This track alone on the album is worth listening to! But it looks a bit like the first track, something innovative, in short, purity in music, although I am told in the headset that this is what we listen to just before the big leap up there! Well I imagine those who saw me deny the PROG, it is not yet for tomorrow. "Sawbreaker" and his drums, finally his mini solo directly in entry, a little ALICE IN CHAINS for the vocals then there it is we are there in this current screamed voice limit phrasing, it's violent, alt metal like the KORN precursors, then above all all those groups that I have been able to listen to since the end of the last century which exploded the basic texture of rock; a bit also of the wild riffs encountered on the futuristic ANYONE. Soaring notes, multiplication of crisscrossed and interspersed air effects, it rises again, around 6 minutes it becomes even heavier to make the first riffs of METALLICA swoon, association of heavy machine guns and machine guns, we are in full swing gang wars, uh musical genres. The end arrives, hilarious, synths hovering a bit of VANGELIS behind which follows with, in short, a title that will not leave anyone indifferent: addicts of new metal prog, djent, current music stemming from hard, metal, prog, finally rock with all these synthesized sounds. Sequence with Steve HOWE's guitar seeming to introduce "Extensive Knowledge" for a more conventional song, guitar solo limit flamenco, Andalusian percussions, oh so fresh, inventive title that reminds me of an ANGEL nursery rhyme at one point, just to tell you that we go very far on the returns and the memories instilled. A title which denotes violence previously introduced, title where the guitar seems to play with the soft voice of Kenny; the voice howled from afar also seems obvious, while pretending even to country sounds. "Solar Gift" again chained, so we start on a track over 26 minutes long! Same sound at the start, a rhythmic digression with drawers interrupted halfway by an aerial piano, coming from the ether which does not hesitate to chug alone like a grown-up, a little synth like on a composition of DIRE STRAITS very fleeting, the aerial, icy, electronic, ambient cover, a true masterpiece, a very fashionable LEPROUS voice then a fat guitar concludes this magnificent album in the genre.

Here! For the record, a man of tenfold power sends his family members out of the solar system to save humanity. But his greed is playing tricks on him and he will end up with a musical parable to find his way. This long journey is well summed up in the music of JUPITER HOLLOW with an incredible mix of genres, with piano, acoustic and energetic guitars, fluid synths, soft to very strong vocals, but always with the feeling and the hope that it is that a howl before a new soft beach. A few birds, a crowd noise and the progressive spirit is coming out of your ears again. One of their sentences speaks to me "to classify ourselves in a musical genre is an excuse", well put. They also say they don't care what they look like, I agree too, they just look like JUPITER HOLLOW coming to sow new sound on earth. I'm "on the ass" as they say on the other side of the Atlantic in front of such a compendium of such disparate sounds that ultimately stick together just as well. JUPITER HOLLOW just produced the best prog metal album of all time this year, condensing, mixing and forging a hot musical steel here.