TERRAFORM

Terraform is the second album by Jupiter Society, a project instigated and lead by Carptree member Carl Westholm. And it pretty much continues where the first one ended, although with a few twists in the musical department.

The name of the game here as on the debut is a blend of progressive metal, space rock and symphonic prog, with an emphasis on the first of these stylistic expressions. And indeed, if someone does think Ayreon at this stage you'll have a point, there is a similarity in the musical elements used and the overall sound - although in this case Arjen Lucassen's Star One project is somewhat closer.

Jupiter Society is a much darker take on this form of space metal though. Heavy, thundering riffs that will make many think of Black Sabbath, and some of doom metal outfit Candlemass, is the main metal component here. Space-tinged electronic sounds and dramatic symphonic synths adds flavouring, and with quite a few both mellow and ambient passages added to most of the tracks. But whether thundering heavy, Wagnerian dramatic or new age-tinged ambient in expression - there's a brooding darkness to all parts of this album - much more so than on it's predecessor.

It's a very well made album too, and as with the first chapter in what will hopefully be a long series of releases, pretty close to pure brilliance but not quite up there with the instant classics yet.

Cocooned in a tangled web, amidst dark caves lit only by fire. Resistence is futile, the end is being summoned, and yet still you struggle... The call is one of glory. The glory of your sacrifice. The rhythm unerringly propels you towards the finale... And that's only track 1!

track 2, 'Rescue and resurrection', sounds more like Richard Wagner SHOULD sound, given his reputation. What's more, it ends up (for me, at least) being a fantastic example of SYMPHONIC prog! Intense, gut-wrenching, majestic and stunning. Buy this album for this track alone.

Track 3 is okay, but thereafter the momentum and intensity (again, for me) are lost. Fear not though,the momentum builds once more as we are led unerringly towards the end of our subterranean experience, where an inhuman angst cry suggests the final painful act.

As I succomb, my only question is whether this experience is Prog Metal or symphonic prog? If you like the latter you may well be rewarded.

FOR AYREON FANS

This album begins with some really interesting keyboard sounds, and you (or I did anyway) fill with hope in wait of a masterpiece. But before too long there a long metal riff that keeps repeating for one-minute and those hopes start to fade. This is the beginning of the album 'Terraform' by Jupiter Society. However, the first track is quite good.

Forget Phil Spector. Even, forget Tony Banks and ELP and all those other people famous for a 'Big Sound', these guys are the masters of the 'Big Sound'. In the first few tracks they add layer upon layer of deep, distorted guitars, backing vocals and keyboards that add an 'ethereal' flavour to the music, in the truest sense of the word, and of-course a big-echoey production. The lyrics are dark, about a spiritual crisis, probably about struggling with Christianity and beliefs. The feeling is dark and heavy, but not bad. The lead vocals are very passionate and accomplished. On one song he holds a high note for quite a long time.

The first few songs blend these elements well, but I honestly think these guys should do two things: a) Get away from metal; the strong, loud, heavy, highly-distorted, deep, resonating guitars dominate this thing, and often overwhelm the music and the other elements of their sound. b) throw in a change of pace or something, please! From beginning to end of this album, which is 54 minutes long, every song has exactly the same sound, same arranegments, same tone, same feeling, etc. They don't vary the formula from beginning to end, and after a while the album just drags. As the album closes, the angst in the singing, the monotonous distortion and the lack of any change in the dynamic of the sound really makes it an end that the listener is looking forward too.(well, that's me personally, I've never heard it through another person's ears, or brain for that matter).

Mate, why don't they just throw in a couple of acoustic songs or throw in some unusual instrument, or one up or two uptempo songs or something. Something to keep things interesting for the duration of the album.

As things stand, it is a fairly solid release. I like the eccentric vocal stylings, the innovative production and that eerie atmosphere they imbue the album with, but ultimately it falls victim to being narrow-focused. That said, if you like the band Ayreon, I would highly recommend this, as it seems to be very similar to their output. Anyway this is only their second album, maybe their next one can be even better. We all have to start somewhere.

'Terraform' was the second album from the project led by keyboard player Carl Westholm (Carptree, Krux, Candlemass) who brought together friends and colleagues from his other bands plus some others to follow on from where the debut left off (given that 'First Contact/Last Warning' only came out the year before perhaps that isn't too much of a surprise). Musically here is someone who has been heavily influenced by Devin Townshend, but then brought in some Ayreon to produce something that is full of balls and wall to wall guitars but also with a real progressive sensibility. It is intense, extremely well produced, and the singers manage to just about stay in front of the music as everyone here is determined to make themselves heard.

Given that both Carl and singer Mats Levén (also Therion, Malmsteen, Krux etc) are in Candlemass it is probably no surprise at all that these guys really know when and how to really belt it out. But, as well as the monstrous riffs (with superb bass and drums in support) from both guitars and keyboards, there is also room for more quiet and gentler interludes that emphasise the heaviness that is going on. This is prog metal that is slightly more metallic than it is progressive, but with plenty of both to make this of interest to anyone who wants their progressive rock to be anything but introspective and restrained. www.jupitersociety.se