Boasting some deeply disturbing artwork (a blood-soaked and shattered helmet) and a mere six songs in some fifty-five minutes, it is clear that Jupiter Society are no ordinary band, and indeed this progressive metal band hailing from Sweden are anything but ordinary. Tapping into the same vein of grimly prophetic futurism that made Queensryche’s ‘Operation Mindcrime’ a metallic force to be reckoned with, Jupiter society combine symphonic metal elements with progressive grandeur and the much maligned concept album to create a sound that is chillingly epic in its design. This is the third album from Carl Westholm, the ‘chairman’ of this loose musical collective which features appearances from members of Candlemass, Soilwork, Opeth and many more.
Make no mistake ‘From endangered to extinct’ is a thrillingly bold album, the likes of which are rarely touched upon these days. Opening with ‘enemy march’ it is immediately clear that this is not an album meant to be digested in pieces, rather this is a record that needs to be listened to from is ambitious start to its ambiguous conclusion. Lyrically dense, the overall feel is that of Therion if Therion had been obsessed with the cyber-metal of Fear Factory rather than the grim darkness of the past, and indeed Mats Leven appears on vocals on four of the tracks here, further cementing that comparison. Marcus Jidell excels on lead guitar and the riffs are suitably crushing even whilst various melodic flourishes are more redolent of Abba tan Annihilator. ‘Invasion’ sees Carl Westholm (the writer and orchestrator of this dystopian nightmare) up the tempo with a subtle build up that walks the line between searing metal and soaring opera, the massed vocal harmonies giving way to crunchy riffs and dark passages that allow the lyrics to be delivered with the necessary clarity for such a plot-driven album. With the end of the world seemingly having taken place, ‘Queen of Armageddon’ opens on a sombre note, developing into a dark and disturbing piece that slithers deep into the darkest recesses of your mind urging you to join the resistance and fight for an unstated cause. The guitars here are deployed with menacing precision and martial skill, but it is the stunning percussive work of drummer Dirk Verbeuren and the emotive keyboard work of Carl that stand out on this track, the constantly evolving nature of the track recalling a mix of Gabriel-era Genesis crossed with Queensryche and Nightwish – a heady mixture indeed, despite the dark subject matter.
‘No survivors’ sees the earth devoid of life following the crushing invasion of track two. Featuring a guest appearance from Candlemass man Leif Edling on vocals, it begins as a full-tilt metal piece that benefits greatly from the presence of Mats Leven, a vocalist who has long been one of my favourite metal singers and who excels here, his powerful, theatrical voice driving the complex story forward. As the song progresses, so light and shade is introduced into the music, with the latter stages recalling nothing so much as the darkest reaches of Pink Floyd’s similarly grand epic ‘the wall’. There is so much going on here that this review can only touch on elements, and in truth nothing short of turning out the lights and listening in detail to each moment could do this album the justice it richly deserves. ‘Fight back’ offers a last moment of hope for humanity, a glimmer that perhaps the human race could rise, Phoenix-like from the ashes and the music builds with a sense of martial tension, Oivin Tronstad and Cia Backman providing the more deathly vocals as the song grows into a full-blown power-metal anthem. It’s a last glimpse of hope before the crushing defeat of humanity is delivered via a series of shocking blows revealed in the thirteen –minute closing epic ‘defeat’ which concludes the album by asking ‘what will be left of this world? What will be left when everything goes away? Now our only choice is dead or left alone’. This is powerful, progressive song-writing at its very best and the story combines perfectly with the music over the course of the album, and on this track in particular to make ‘from endangered to extinct’ such a remarkable, theatrical experience.
When you consider the well-worn theme of humanity’s destruction, the challenge of attempting to create a cohesive whole from such a range of talent as opposed to an established, permanent band and the perils of concept albums in general, it is clear that Carl Westholm is a man of discipline and vision. More importantly, he has succeeded in communicating not only his vision, but also his unbridled passion for his art to those musicians performing on the album with the result that ‘from endangered to extinct’ is a fascinating, intelligent, ambitious album that succeeds on every level. This is not an album for a quick fix. There are plenty of adrenalin-fuelled moments here to be sure, but to listen to this as anything other than a complete story (as you would watch a film or read a book) would be to do this ambitious and intellectual achievement a grave disservice. With impressive artwork adorning the digipack in which the album is housed and near perfect production handled by Carl himself, this is an album that is hard to fault. For progressive fans this comes highly recommended – Jupiter society offer a cerebral, exciting, often dark, always enjoyable experience on ‘from endangered to extinct’.
