Jupiter VI was a band I had never heard of before I got to review the Roxx Records’ Best of 2014 compilation. So for the people who still don’t know who Jupiter VI is;
it’s a project started by Jimmy P. Brown II of the metal band Deliverance. According to the Roxx Records site, he was approached by PsychoAcoustix Records who asked him whether he could create a concept album. So Jimmy wrote an album about a band who was sent from Earth to Mars to seek fame, a band called “Jupiter VI” And he released “Back From Mars” which was well received. This time we’re presented a different album with a different storyline, influenced by his youth. A story about despair, darkness, madness and redemption. The story is called “mOVEABLE wALLS”. Unlike their previous release, where Jimmy did all the writing, he now worked together with Jeff Ceyba.
The first track “Sleepless End pt I-IV” has an intruiging intro that begins with sounds of thunder, and a distant voice singing with guitars in the background. The guitars comes more into the foreground and plays a solo to reinforce the atmosphere. It has kind of an 80’s metal Iron Maiden feel to it because of the synths and the mellow guitars. The song definitely takes its time to build up, because the entire running time is near-20 minutes. But after a little while, the rest of the instruments come in, and the 80’s metal feel stays there. The drums and the bass guitar have a certain groove to them that will definitely sound familiar to anyone who’s ever listened to the genre. The song doesn’t have anything that resembles a normal song structure, but that’s not a problem at all. Brown has a solid voice that definitely fits in with the overal theme of the song.
After the 10 minute mark, the song fades out and a new part of the song seems to begin. It begins with synths, and a clean guitar playing a solo. The drums and bass come in, and the vocals join them to complete the setting. All of the instruments compliment each other, and have been put together very well. This single song already shows that both Brown and Ceyba are excellent writers. The song is really atmospheric, and that’s exactly how I like my metal. At around the 17 minute mark, the song fades out again, and another part of the song begins. This time with acoustic guitars, joined by an overdriven guitar. At this point, the song has a more Guns N Roses ballad influence, it seems
The second track “Wasting Away” begins with groovy classic metal guitars, but fade away soon to make some room for Jimmy. His voice has a sense of melancholy, that really sits well with the overal theme and atmosphere of the album.
The track “Face in the Sky” was also in a previous review of mine, (The best of 2014 by Roxx Records). The song starts with harmonic guitars, with a certain groove. The song is really enjoyable, and has a different atmosphere than the previous tracks of the album. Which is a good thing, because that makes the album more dynamic. This song is more standard-structured than the first two tracks of the album, and the only downfall of this song is that it is quite repetetive.
And now we have arrived at the final track “Message from Home Pt I” that begins with synths, bass and guitars that slowly build up the song. After 2 minutes, the drums and vocals come in. Jimmy’s voice seems a bit more energetic in this song, which is a good thing in my opinion. He really has a solid voice, and he now shows that he knows how to use it in various ways.
Overall: First off, this album isn’t for everyone. Not everyone will like it, but if you’re into 80’s metal, I’m sure you can appreciate it. I enjoy the fact that music like this is still made nowadays. The songs are put together very well and both Brown and Ceyba have shown us that they’re both excellent writers. The songs are put together very well and not one instrument is being held back or put in the background. All of the instruments sound excellent. The thing with long songs, however, is that it’s a matter of keeping things interesting. And while both writers did an absolutely good job at creating such well-written songs, some parts tended to get a bit boring and repetetive.
Rating: 7/10
Written by Geert Prins
Tracklist:
01 Sleepless End pt. I-IV
02 Wasting Away
03 Running
04 Face in the Sky
05 A Message from Home pt. I
Jupiter VI is:
Jimmy P. Brown II
Jeff Ceyba
Albums:
“Back from Mars” (2006)
“mOVEABLE wALLS” (2014)
Record Label: Roxx Records, Dec. 2014
Buy the album here:
Holland: First Paradox
Norway: Nordic Mission
Lyric Video ‘Face in the Sky’