Mission Jupiter – Aftermath
Mission Jupiter, who hail from Minsk in Belarus, are an alt-prog/rock/metal band that mix atmospheric electronica with heavy guitars.
They also expertly blend downtempo drama with uplifting melodies, heard to impressive effect on previous albums Architecture (2018) and Talk To Me (2021).
Third album Aftermath, however, has seen changes in the band’s line-up, and sound.
Bassist & keys player Artyom Gylyakevich and vocalist Nastya Shevtsova have since departed, with the latter replaced by Kate Varsak, who joins Vlad Shvakel (guitars) and Eugene Zuyeu (drums); saxophonist Dmitri Soldatenko also still contributes.
While the first two albums were more akin to dream-rock (albeit with a myriad of other styles incorporated, including melancholic alt-pop, jazz and darkwave), Aftermath is an evolution of that sound, where modern alt-metal contrasts with some lovely, downtempo moments (all handled with vocal aplomb by Kate Varsak).
'Revelation' immediately sounds the clarion call for the band’s darker and edgier soundscapes, with guitar, drums and vocal up front & centre.
A pulsating, modern alt-metal number, 'Revelation' bristles with energy, and Kate Varsak’s vocal presence.
'Sometimes It Hurts' is a big, bold, dramatic statement with a soaring chorus and some nice melodic light and rhythmic shade. The atmospheric and downtempo 'Human Nature,' which follows, sports a lovely chorus; it also reminds of the sort of song that made Architecture so intriguing, and inviting.
'Self-Destruction,' the band’s heaviest number to date (including lyrically, where personal battles with mental disorders are tackled), is modern alt-metal at its detuned guitar best.
Staccato sharp sections and a soaring chorus vocal combine to very powerful effect on this track.
Atmospheric contrast is then provided by the quite moving 'Crippled Country,' where dream-pop and synth pads support a beautiful vocal and heartfelt lyric from Kate Varsak ("I hate these times, but I don’t cry… I love this place, wish I could help my homeland").
The inspired addition of a saxophone solo from Dmitri Soldatenko makes this song a highlight of the album.
The sparse, but again atmospheric, 'Jak Spyniajecca Bol' is equally poignant, although only Belarusians will appreciate the lyric (the song, recorded in the group’s mother tongue, translates as 'How The Pain Stops').
We can all, however, appreciate the gorgeous vocal from Kate Varsak, and the tasteful guitar solo from Vlad Shvakel.
The modern, folksy sway of 'Bittersweet (Love Song),' which turns a little darker in the later going with some spoken word parts, adds another interesting texture to the musical canvas of Aftermath.
It's followed by the one dip in the album, the short, synth-sculpted instrumental 'The Dark,' which is a slightly incongruous, unnecessary interlude.
Things are redeemed however with the captivating and primarily acoustic ballad 'Nothing Lasts Forever.'
A deeply poignant song, the lyric could call to the fragility of life, or the state of the planet ("life is hollow, not happy at all; it seems we've passed the point, the point of no return").
Given the title of the previous song, it’s a little ironic that the album should close with 'This Is Not The End.'
In this case, however, the spacey number, which opens with a Carl Sagan styled narrative on matter in the universe, lyrically speculates about what may come after, if anything ("when darkness falls and curtain drops, we tend to think this is forever and ever").
Aftermath is heavier than its predecessors but, as the second half of the album highlights, it’s tempered by some of the band’s best-to-date atmospheric, downtempo and genuinely moving moments.
All of which means this particular Aftermath could well herald the start of something even bigger for Mission Jupiter.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase Aftermath on Digital, CD or Vinyl at:
https://mission-jupiter.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath
They also expertly blend downtempo drama with uplifting melodies, heard to impressive effect on previous albums Architecture (2018) and Talk To Me (2021).
Third album Aftermath, however, has seen changes in the band’s line-up, and sound.
Bassist & keys player Artyom Gylyakevich and vocalist Nastya Shevtsova have since departed, with the latter replaced by Kate Varsak, who joins Vlad Shvakel (guitars) and Eugene Zuyeu (drums); saxophonist Dmitri Soldatenko also still contributes.
While the first two albums were more akin to dream-rock (albeit with a myriad of other styles incorporated, including melancholic alt-pop, jazz and darkwave), Aftermath is an evolution of that sound, where modern alt-metal contrasts with some lovely, downtempo moments (all handled with vocal aplomb by Kate Varsak).
'Revelation' immediately sounds the clarion call for the band’s darker and edgier soundscapes, with guitar, drums and vocal up front & centre.
A pulsating, modern alt-metal number, 'Revelation' bristles with energy, and Kate Varsak’s vocal presence.
'Sometimes It Hurts' is a big, bold, dramatic statement with a soaring chorus and some nice melodic light and rhythmic shade. The atmospheric and downtempo 'Human Nature,' which follows, sports a lovely chorus; it also reminds of the sort of song that made Architecture so intriguing, and inviting.
'Self-Destruction,' the band’s heaviest number to date (including lyrically, where personal battles with mental disorders are tackled), is modern alt-metal at its detuned guitar best.
Staccato sharp sections and a soaring chorus vocal combine to very powerful effect on this track.
Atmospheric contrast is then provided by the quite moving 'Crippled Country,' where dream-pop and synth pads support a beautiful vocal and heartfelt lyric from Kate Varsak ("I hate these times, but I don’t cry… I love this place, wish I could help my homeland").
The inspired addition of a saxophone solo from Dmitri Soldatenko makes this song a highlight of the album.
The sparse, but again atmospheric, 'Jak Spyniajecca Bol' is equally poignant, although only Belarusians will appreciate the lyric (the song, recorded in the group’s mother tongue, translates as 'How The Pain Stops').
We can all, however, appreciate the gorgeous vocal from Kate Varsak, and the tasteful guitar solo from Vlad Shvakel.
The modern, folksy sway of 'Bittersweet (Love Song),' which turns a little darker in the later going with some spoken word parts, adds another interesting texture to the musical canvas of Aftermath.
It's followed by the one dip in the album, the short, synth-sculpted instrumental 'The Dark,' which is a slightly incongruous, unnecessary interlude.
Things are redeemed however with the captivating and primarily acoustic ballad 'Nothing Lasts Forever.'
A deeply poignant song, the lyric could call to the fragility of life, or the state of the planet ("life is hollow, not happy at all; it seems we've passed the point, the point of no return").
Given the title of the previous song, it’s a little ironic that the album should close with 'This Is Not The End.'
In this case, however, the spacey number, which opens with a Carl Sagan styled narrative on matter in the universe, lyrically speculates about what may come after, if anything ("when darkness falls and curtain drops, we tend to think this is forever and ever").
Aftermath is heavier than its predecessors but, as the second half of the album highlights, it’s tempered by some of the band’s best-to-date atmospheric, downtempo and genuinely moving moments.
All of which means this particular Aftermath could well herald the start of something even bigger for Mission Jupiter.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase Aftermath on Digital, CD or Vinyl at:
https://mission-jupiter.bandcamp.com/album/aftermath