JUPITER SOCIETY

I have only recently come across this 2013 album, the third from this Swedish project led by Carl Westholm (Carptree). This is very much in the progressive metal area, coming across as being fairly similar to Ayreon in many ways. It is bombastic, over the top, with the guitars providing a grinding bottom edge for the keyboards to lift over, and there will be many progheads who will find the intensity, energy and sheer heaviness just too much for them. But, given that I listen to extreme metal as much as I do to prog then I find it absolutely fine.

There are times when it is symphonic, and during 'Invasion' the intensity levels just keep growing and one wonders if they are going to be able to hold it all together. The layers of sound just keep coming, like a wall of music, in a way that I normally associate with Devin Townsend but here with more variety and dynamics. There is a clear understanding from Westholm that music needs to be soft to also be hard, delicate to also be robust, and at times there is the impression that there is an orchestra of metal all being conducted to pull it all together. Those into symphonic metal and/or prog metal should look this out.

Swedish project JUPITER SOCIETY is the creative vehicle of composer and musician Carl Westholm, a former member of Candlemass, also known as the creative force behind the Swedish project Carptree. Jupiter Society has been a going concern for a few years at this point. From what I understand this is a studio-based project only, and so far three albums have been released under this moniker. "From Endangered to Extinct" is the most recent of these, and was released through Carl's own label Fosfor Creation in 2013.

Jupiter Society's take on progressive metal of the space opera variety will probably not be a universally appealing one, as the instrumentation is rather dramatic and bombastic, and the vocals may well be too emotional for comfort for some. But those who love and appreciate a high-quality dystopian journey and tend to enjoy bands like Ayreon as well as metal bands such as Candlemass and Triptykon should try this band and this album out for size. For me personally this is a CD that is fairly high up on my desert island list of recordings.

'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

Space Metal. That's about the only description of this album that I can imagine. I very much enjoyed Jupiter Society's first album, "First Contact/Last Warning". It has a great mix of funky riffs, choirs, and spaciness. Yet, the production was severely marred.

So, I gave this new album a listen. For those who don't know, Jupiter Society is the brainchild of Carl Westholm, vocalist for Carptree. If you've heard Carptree, you know that they are brilliantly strange, and this makes its way into Jupiter Society, as well. "From Endangered to Extinct", unfortunately, continues the series of recent albums that use the idea of an alien invasion and the resulting human cooperation as tools to show us how stupid the human race is. We shouldn't be killing each other. We are all human. While this is a great message, it's been done to death.

The music, also, seems to show little progression from the very first album. Again, we have funky riffing, choirs (excellent ones, at that), weird vocals from Carl, and a total "blah" when it comes to all the other instruments. This album sounds too much like the first, only not as good. In fact, the first album has some unique songs, while "From Endangered to Extinct" omitted much of what made the other albums special. That is not to say that this album is a waste: It has some great moments, particularly on 'Invasion", "Queen of Armageddon", and "Fight Back". But for everything great moment, there is an even more cliche moment. For instance, on "Fight Back", we get some awesome passages that feature the greatest choir arrangements on the album. However, this song also has the worse chorus I've heard in 2013. This is disappointing, to say the least. Fans of Carptree and different progressive metal will enjoy this outing, but don't expect a masterpiece or even something you'll remember by 2014.

Isaac Asimov gone me(n)tal.

I totally love when progressive rock and science-fiction frolick together, in fact, that's what drawned me to the genre at first. So for Jupiter Society, I was sold almost in advance considering that the art cover is shouting what the album is all about.

The music is a little disappointing, if not a lot although. I expected more diversity in textures, or colour if you like. Everything is musically in shades of black, silver and cherry red (in my brain) . Definitely not positive energy music, rooted in drop#D guitars, thinking of Ayreon and other goth bands.

An interesting album for the political-sci-fi-diplomatic-Asimov's-Foundation-book-lover, because it's not 'Star Wars metal', but more intellectually intended.

Claustrophobic, paranoid, no shredding guitars, robotic voices and haunting keys.

In fact, haunting everything.

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.

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.

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.

A pretty nice debut as far as space opera metal is concerned from Carptree man Carl Westholm and his metal friends here.

Slow metallic crunches is the backbone in these tunes - which I guess is courtesy of Edling from Candlemass. Loads of layered synths and vocals are placed on top and allowed to dominate this album, with spacey rhythmic sounds accompanying the at times basic and at times quirky drum patterns.

The vocals are the driving and main feature of this release, intense, powerful and emotional with raw edges to them; synths and keyboards adding textures above mostly staccato and repetitive guitar patterns. Basically this comes across as a stripped down, heavier and slower version of Ayreon or Space One - with vocals given the dominant role.

A great release if you really enjoy the vocal performance, but an average of you don't like them or care too much for vocals in general.