The third full length release from Brazil’s Jupiterian finds the band exploring ever murkier depths. Formed in 2013, theirs is a seething torrent of sludgy, deathly doom. This is my first experience with this band and “Protosapien” is a powerful introduction.
The first thing I notice is this incredible, icy dissonance mixed with an almost grandiose, cinematic sci-fi aura. Thick, crushing chords on “Mere Humans” mix with evil, growled vocals to give a claustrophobic feel. The opening salvo of tracks seem like an exploration to push their sound as far down as possible. The unrelenting heaviness of the drone drenched “Capricorn” make it a stand out track and also marks the point where the album starts to expand its horizons.
With an overarching nightmarish quality the band create a journey from which there feels to be no escape. The thick, rubbery riff on “Starless” is mesmerising before the final chilling statement of closing track “Earthling Bloodline”.
These tracks have a very focussed feel and the album as a whole is quite condensed with a running time of around 35 minutes. Not always an easy listen, it presents a challenge and a sound that you definitely have to be in the mood for. Having said that, this is a worthwhile album to explore.
(7/10 Johnny Zed)
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