Jupiterian - Protosapien (2020)

Three years after terraforming the scene with their excellent 2017 release, today we have Brasil’s Jupiterian dropping the massive “Protosapien”. Pushing the boundaries of the genre and always delivering something interesting and aurally punishing, this band is one of the few that constantly improves over time and morphs into new shapes in each release. If you like punishing riffs, a wide variety of genres, and the feeling of being on a choke hold (by music), then you can’t miss out on this one.

After slowly creating a very dissonant atmosphere with their opening track, “Mere Humans” instantly unleashes a barrage of punishing riffs and a hypnotic pace. As one of their specialties, the band suddenly switches gear into heavier and slower territories with the (newer) Lantlôs-esque “Voidborn” and its waves of pummeling guitars. The growls are a perfect match for such an aggressive and yet subtly melodic onslaught.

For those nocturnal headbanging sessions, “Capricorn” delivers a good foundation of crafty rhythmical passages intertwined with ripping riffs with some Death Metal elements thrown into the mix. Our favorite track has to be the intense “Starless” and its very crafty drumming nicely paired with very aggressive guitars that create a very oppressive vibe as the tempo of the song keeps changing as it progresses.

Closing with the speaker rattlings of “Earthling Bloodline”, we are left completely exhausted and blown away by the craftiness and diversity of “Protosapien”. Juptierian is one of those bands that has a very crushing sound, but they still have enough room to grow and try new ideas without changing their identity. If you like cavernous aural dissonance, and a good dosage of killer riffs, be sure to get a copy of this killer release.

Label: Transcending Obscurity Records

Release: September 11th, 2020

Genre: Doom/Sludge/Death Metal

Country: Brasil