Jupiter Zeus Interview

1.Can you give us an update on what has been going on with the band since the recording and release of the new album? 

Michael : Well the recording has only just been finished and isn't getting released until Tues 11th March. We've been trying to do as many interviews /promo stuff as we possibly can to try and get the word out about the new album.

Simon : We have been keeping a relatively low profile since we have recorded our new album, but we are now gearing up to promote the release by doing interviews and establishing networks world wide.

  

2.Recently you have put out a new album, can you tell us a little bit more about the musical direction of the new recording and also how does it differ from your previous ep?

Michael : Well the album is exactly that - an album. We put alot of thought into the order of the songs and its better to listen to the whole thing from start to finish. It starts with "Waves" which is quite an epic/longish song which goes against what your supposed to do ie putting your most commercial songs first. We figure we aren't a commercial radio band anyway so we might as well make an album that we like the sound of. We told the producer to try and make it sound as big and fat as possible and to make the guitars sound huge. Theres a few songs where the guitars just sound enormous (which is awesome being a guitarist haha). We've also got a couple of what could be defined as "radio" songs - Talkback Caller and Cosmic Rays which both sit well in amongst all the heavier stuff. The very last track - State of Mind, is another longer epic with a really cool instrumental section at the end. Its the perfect way to close the album. I love the way the album finishes on a single piano and acoustic guitar chord. Its interesting to see that pretty much everybody who listens to the entire thing has their own fave songs and they all vary dramatically depending on who you speak to.

In terms of differing from the previous EP, the "Green Mosquito" ep was recorded, mixed and mastered in 5 days so was kind of rushed. Also it was recorded in a studio which was filled with top of the line vintage valve gear which is all good, but at the end of the day you can only do so much with vintage gear. The new "On Earth" album by comparison took about 10 months to complete on a part time basis. Just getting it mixed cost almost as much as the entire "Green Mosquito" ep cost to make. Plus we got a world class mastering engineer (Leon Zervos - Muse, Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, Beastie Boys, Interpol, Santana, Dream Theater, Robyn, Rihanna etc) to master it so obviously it gonna sound a little better 

Simon : Many of the songs have been hand picked from a vast back catalogue spanning almost 20 years. The older songs have more of a heavier edge while the newer ones have more of a grunge based vibe with a little bit of psychedelia mixed in as well. It doesn't differ a great deal from our previous ep.

3.Can you tell us a little bit more about the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

Michael : Well being a guitarist I have absolutely no idea what Simon sings. I do a bit of backing so I know the words to sing in the backing bits but thats it. Simon is an amazing lyricist. Everytime I read his lyrics I get super impressed. I can't write good lyrics to save myself so I leave that to an expert like Simon haha

Simon : We/I don't write about specific topics as such, but relay "a certain frame of mind"  personal experiences that are universal and that many people will relate to. I try to write positive messages with spiritual undertones within our music and also try to express ideals that many would yearn for.

4.I know that the band name came from Greek and Roman mythology, can you tell us a little bit bit about your interest in this topic?

Simon : Most of the members in Jupiter Zeus have an interest in mythology, spirituality and even the occult and so it felt natural to go for the "Jupiter Zeus" name. We felt the two names sounded good together and obviously the two names have the same meaning.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played over the years and also how would you describe your stage performance?

Michael : Well the band has been together for alot longer than I've been with them. I've known them for a very long time though and used to do gigs with them all them time when I was in a thrash/punk band called "Moth" when they used to be called "Nebula" (not to be confused with the US band) . We used to play gigs with them all the time in Perth. I remember going to their "Sadness Vs Madness" CD launch years ago and it was pandemonium. There was a ridiculous amount of people crammed in the room, people jumping off speaker stacks, hanging off the roof etc. Toilets full of vomit and people covered in blood. Was crazy. I'm sure that night would have been a highlight. 

We in the process now of writing a full bio for wikipedia which includes all the pre Jupiter Zeus stuff. It really will make for an interesting story.

Simon : We really try to have fun on stage and attempt to display passion of our music and a degree of professionalism. Feeding off the crowd is part and parcel of the whole experience. One of our best shows goes back to the late 1990s when we were known under a different name (Nebula) supporting Paradise Lost in our home town Perth.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?

Michael : We are looking into touring options at the moment. Living in Perth, Australia makes touring incredibly difficult due to cost being the worlds most isolated capital city. There is no opportunity for us to tour here so we look over the horizons to different countries. We would love to do some shows in the US and Europe especially some festivals.  If anyone has any propositions send a message through either our website or facebook page.

Simon : We would love to play some shows overseas, but we are doing the wait and see approach. Any opportunities that present themselves to play at certain music festivals etc, I dare say we will "pounce" on them.

7.The new album came out on Magnetic Eyes Records, can you tell us a little bit more about this label?

Michael : Magnetic Eye Records is a label based in Albany, New York which is run by Mike Vitali who is the guitarist in legendary underground stoner rock bands "Ironweed" and "GreatDayForUp" both of which are some of my fave bands around. I was bored one night and googling Ironweed and an interview with Mike came up and I read how he was starting a label so I instantly tracked him down and sent him some stuff. 

The other bands on the label which are similar to us include Ironweed, Summoner, Akuma and they've also released vinyl stuff for "Owl" which is a side project of Chris Whyse from "The Cult". I saw Owl in Los Angeles a few years ago by co-incidence and thought they where cool as.


Simon : They are an independent label based in Albany, New York state. We are thrilled to have signed a 2 album deal with them.

8.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of heavy rock?

Michael : We still in the process of getting ourselves out there and the world is a fkn big place. People from all over the world seem to discover us somehow and I have no idea how they do it. It seems that certain people have a listen and then totally get what we are doing and get completely into us 110%. We get people from all over the world sending us really enthusiastic emails and FB messages saying how much they loved the "Green Mosquito" ep etc and they have a fave song they really dig etc which is totally cool. 

Simon : Early days yet, but early indications suggest that this record will be well received.

9.Where do you see the band heading  into musically during the future?

Michael : The songs for the next album are already written. I foresee the next album having alot more experimental stuff on it. Jeremy (bass) and myself are right into electronic music so I would imagine there may be elements of drum & bass etc in there along side some big guitar riffs. It would be good to make an album which has a heap of different styles mixed into it but still has the energy of rock & metal etc

Simon : We are still keen to re-record many songs from our vast back catalogue for our next album, but we won't be scared of doing some experimentation with different sounds such as acoustic and even techno sounds. I still believe we will retain heavy guitars and rock vibes because that's what we love to play.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have had an influence on your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Michael : I like everything from early Metallica through to dance music and absolutely everything in between. Basically if it's good I'll like it. Today I've been listening to The Mark of Cain (who are a killer Australian band), Daft Punk, Stone Temple Pilots & Soundgarden. Oh and I listened to Black Sabbath when I went jogging this morning.

Simon : We are influenced by many bands and genres, but it would be safe to say our main influences are from the 60s/70s rock/metal era. Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple etc. Even Pink Floyd and the Beatles are huge influences of our sound. These days I personally like to listen to Australian bands such as Tame Impala (also from Perth) and even The Temper Trap.

11.What are some of your interests outside of music?

Michael : I love flying planes. I've been fortunate enough to make that passion my day job as a pilot. Travelling is something I also can't get enough of. I try to go to as many strange and different places around the world as I can at every opportunity.

Simon : Most of the members have kids so obviously family based activities are a must and important to maintain. Personally I like to engage in horticultural pursuits such as growing herbs etc I think it is important to get involved in other things/hobbies in order to maintain a sense of balance.

12.before we wrap up this interview, do you have any final words or thoughts?

Michael - Thank you so much for taking the time to interview us. Make sure you like our facebook page www.facebook.com/jupiterzeusrock and our website www.jupiterzeus.com . You can contact us there for gigs etc.

Simon : Cheers for the interview and interest in Jupiter Zeus!

Extreme/II: Pornograffiti/A & M Records/1990 Full Length Review

  Extreme  are  a  band  from  Massachusetts  that  plays  pop  metal  mixed  with  funk  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1990  album  "Pornograffiti"  which  was  released  by  A  &  M  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  thunder  sounds  and  pianos  and  after  a  minute  the  music  goes  into  a  more  melodic  hard  rock/pop  metal  direction  along  with  some  vocals  and  after  awhile  catchy  choruses  are  added  into  the  music  along  with  some  solos  and  leads.

  As  the  album  continues  the  band  continue  their  mainstream  hard  rock/pop  metal  sound  while  also  adding  in  elements  of  funk  music  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  they  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  raps  and  later  on  a  couple  of  acoustic  and  power  ballads  are  added  onto  the  recording  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  the  pianos  make  a  return  before  going  back  to  a  harder  direction  and  you  can  also  hear  some  blues  elements  being  utilized  on  the  last  track.

  While  this  was  a  very  commercial  sounding  album  Extreme  still  displayed  a  great  amount  of  talent  in  the  guitars  and  this  was  their  best  selling  album  and  also  had  their  biggest  hits  but  if  you  get  past  those  tracks  you  can  hear  some  quality  hard  rock  bordering  on  metal.

  Song  lyrics  cover  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musicla  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording  as  well  as  some  of  the  songs  being  long  and  epic  in  length.

  In  my  opinion  this  was  a  decent  sounding  album  from  Extreme  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  probably  already  own  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Decendance  Dance"  "When  I'm  President"  "Its  A  Monster"  and  "Song  For  Love".  7/5  out  of  10.

Talas/Sink Your teeth Into That/Relativity Records/1982 Full Length Review

  Talas  where  a  band  from  New  York  that  played  a  mixture  of  heavy  metal  and  hard  rock  with  traces  of  progressive  music  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  1982  album  "Sink  Your  teeth  Into  That"  which  was  released  by  Relativity  Records.

  The album  starts  out  with  a  heavy  and  hard  mainstream  sound  along  with  melodic  vocals  and  after  awhile  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  as  well  as  all  of  the  musical  instruments  having  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  As  the  album  progresses  you  can  hear  element s that  eventually  evolved  into  hair  and  pop  metal  while  also  having  a  good  amount  of  regular  hard  rock  influences  and  back  up  vocals  and  at  time s you  can  also  hear  small  amounts  of  acoustic  guitars  in  the  music  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  few  fast  songs  at  time s that  are  more  closer  to  traditional  metal  but  more  mainstream  sounding.

  Talas  where  a  very  underrated  band  for  their  time  with  their  music  being  more  in  the  mainstream  metal/hard  rock  direction  and  a  couple  of  the  band  members  went  on  to  have  huge  fame  in  other  bands  after  the  break  up.

  Song  lyrics  cover  relationships  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  the  time  it  was  released  and  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Talas  where  a  very  great  mainstream  sounding  hard  rock/metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Sink  Your  teeth  Into  That"  "High  Speed  On  Ice"  "Never  See  Me  Cry"  and  "Hick  Town".  8  out  of  10. 

Jupiter Zeus/On Earth/Magnetic Eyes Records/2014 CD Review

  Jupiter  Zeus  are  a  band  from  Australia  that  plays  a  mixture  of  psychedelic  rock and  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "On  Earth"  which  was  released  by  Magnetic  Eyes  Records.

  The  album  starts out  with  clean  playing  before  getting  a  little  bit  heavier  and  a  few  seconds  later  melodic  chanting  and  riffing  is  added  into  the  music  before  adding  in  regular  vocals  which  also  sets  up  the  mood  for  guitar  leads  to  become  a  part  of  the  recording  along  with  distorted  psychedelic  sounds.

  When  we  get  more  into  the  album  the  bass  guitars  start  getting  a  lot  more  powerful  in  sound  along  with  a  mixture  of  clean,  acoustic  and  heavy  parts  and  the  music  has  a  70's  rock  sound  that  is  updated  for  the  modern  day  as  well  as  being  a  bit  more  heavier  and  the  music  combines  psych  and  classic  rock  with  90's  grunge  and  metal  and  at  times  they  also  bring  in  some  power  ballads.

  With  this  album  Jupiter  Zeus  go  back  to  the  70's  psychedelic  rock  sound  and  mix  it  in  with  the  heaviness  of  metal,  stoner  rock  and  grunge  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  great  amount  of  melody  to  make  this  genre  modern  for  2014.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark,  metaphysical,  mythology  and  everyday  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  Jupiter  Zeus  are  a  very  great  sounding  mixture  of  psychedelic  rock  and  metal  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  those  musical  genres,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Waves"  "I  Am  "Co-Creators"  and  "State  Of  Mind".  8  out  of  10.

Dragonhammer interview

DRAGONHAMMER interview on Extreme Underground Music Zine

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?
1-Giulio: Our new album "The X experiment" came out recently, so after exiting from the recording studio we locked ourselves in the rehearsal room to prepare for the release party that was held in Rome, and now we are even more committed to preparing the setlist as best as we can for the European tour with Freedom Call, which will begin in late March.

2.How would you describe the musical sound of the new album and also how does it differ from previous releases?
2- Giulio:  Regarding the production, we tried to get a much more modern sound, very aggressive and sharp. As for the style, this album is significantly different from the previous ones: we have gathered several influences for example from thrash, we included instrumental parts and interludes sometimes more progressive and symphonic. Even the keyboards often prefer dark and industrial sinths.

3.What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the new release explores?
3-  Giulio: Regarding the lyrics this album is very different from the past ones: we have shifted from the classic fantasy to social issues projected in an imaginary vision of the future. Perhaps this is fantasy anyway, but surely using a new approach.

4.What is the meaning and inspiration behind the name Dragonhammer?
4- Giulio:  We were born with this name riding the waves of epic and fantasy of the late 90's and beginning of 2000's.
We of course do not deny our past: these elements are part of our being and will always be found in our work.

5.What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?
5- Giulio: Definitely one of the best shows was when we were playing support band for the legendary Jorn Lande, we played with him during the Italian tour. It was an unforgettable experience.

6.Do you have any touring or show plans for the future?
6-Giulio: At the end of March we will be supporting Freedom Call in their European tour 2014, the confirmed dates for now are in Spain, Germany and Italy.

7.On a worldwide level how has the feedback been to your music by fans of power and prog metal?
7. Giuseppe: Our album is having a good response in many countries , we have a great number of fans in Colombia , Messico , Russia, and in the next few weeks we will have a good distribution of the album in U.s.a. , we are very happy for this.

8.What is going on with the other musical projects these days?
8.Giuseppe: We have to prepare the european tour with Fredom Call , we want to offer a great show to the public of Germany and Spain.

9.What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?
9. Giuseppe: We want to make great metal music with style , honesty and passion , we want also to continue the story narrated with the X experiment . The evolution of this story will become the evolution of Dragonhammer.

10.What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?
10. Giuseppe: We have many influences , the new album has several influences of progressive and symphonic metal for example.
The new members of the band have also others influences ,  jazz and fusion music. Those are our new resources but we do  not necessary have to change or denaturise the compositive style of the band for the future . We want to remain a good and honest metal band.
However all influences can fly into the style of Dragonhammer , our music is born in an all natural manner, which will remain our style and our identity in the future.

11.Outside of music what are some of your interests?
11. Giuseppe: I like sports , fun and girls , the women are my great inspiration!!!!!!!!

12.Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?
12. Giuseppe: I tell  all fans in the world to follow and support Dragonhammer, we have great enthusiasm and great surprises for them.
We are back !!!!!!!!!

North/Metanoia/2014 EP Review

   North  are  a  band  from  Arizona  that  plays  atmospheric  post-sludge  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  self  released  2014  ep  "Metanoia".

  The  ep  starts  out  with  a  soft  and  dark  sound  before  going  into  a  heavier  direction a long  with  some  aggressive  vocals  that  have  a  melodic  tone  to  them  at  times  and  then  the  music  starts  bringing  in  more  sludge  and  post  metal  elements  along  with  some  very  powerful  sounding  bass  guitars.

  As  the  ep  progresses the  music  gets  a  lot  more  atmospheric  along  with  some  synths  and  at  time s guitar  solos  and  leads  are  added  into  the  music  and  on  one  of  the  tracks  clean  playing  and  psychedelic  elements  are  added  into  the  music.

  North  bring  out  a  very  dark  and  melodic  sound  with  their  approach  to  atmospheric  post/sludge  metal  and  all  of  the  songs  have  a  very  heavy,  dark  and epic  sound  to  them  along  with  an  ethereal  feeling.

  Song  lyrics  cover  dark  and  philosophical  themes,  while  the  production  has  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  for  being  a  self  released  recording  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.    

  In  my  opinion  North  are  a  very  great  sounding  atmospheric  post/sludge  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  musical  genre,  you  should  check  out  this  ep.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Atrabilous"  and  "Master".  8  out  of  10.

Earth Crisis/Salvation Of Innocents/Candlelight Records/2014 CD Review

  Earth  Crisis  are  a  band  from  New  York  that  has  been  around  for  more  than  20  years  and  are  very  well  known  as  one  of  the  biggest  straight  edge  metalcore  bands  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2014  album  "Salvation  Of  Innocents"  which  was  released  by  Candlelight  Records.

  The  album  starts  out  with  a  very  heavy  and  melodic  sound  along  with  some  aggressive  hardcore  style  shouts  and  then  the  music  speeds  up  a  bit  as  well  as  bringing  in  a  mixture  of  mid  paced  and  fast  parts.

  As  the  album  progresses  the  music  starts  getting  more  metal  orientated  in  sound  while  also  remaining  true  to  hardcore  and  all  of  the  musical  instruments  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them  and  you  can  also  hear  a  great  amount  of  melody  in  the  music  and  at  times  there  are  small  traces  of  death  metal  in  certain  sections  of  the  recording  as  well  as  a  small  amount  of  melodic  clean  singing  and  on  a  couple  of  the  tracks  they  bring  in  a  small  amount  of  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  With  this  album  Earth  Crisis  continue  the  straight  edge  metalcore  sound  they  are  very  well  known  for  while  also  having  a  little  bit  more  melody  and  thrash  metal  elements  this  time  around  and  they  still  have  a  very  heavy  sound  even  after  20  years.

  Song  lyrics  cover  human  injustice  towards  animals  and  the  environment,  while  the  production h as  a  very  strong,  powerful,  heavy  and  professional  sound  where  you  can  hear  all  of  the  musical  instruments  that  are  present  on  this  recording.

  In  my  opinion  this  is  another  great  sounding  recording  from  Earth  Crisis  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  band,  you  should  enjoy  this  album.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Out  Of  the  Cages"  "Depraved  Indifference"  "Devoted  to  Death"  and  "Final  Breath".  8  out  of  10.