Buy Jupiter - Eclipse

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BUY JUPITER’s new EP “Eclipse” is a deep, visceral experience you’ll want to return to immediately after your first listen. Having never heard of the five-piece Progressive Metalcore band from Lyon, France, I was so intrigued after hearing the opening track “Arrival” that I sought out their previous release, “Crosswords” (2017), which I also strongly recommend. With prior track names such as “Drift”, “Monolith”, “New Era” “Collide”, the band builds every EP as if it is a chapter in a vast, entropic, sci-fi observation. With “Eclipse”, BUY JUPIER expands their chaotic vision into the cosmos.

Appropriately enough, “Arrival” starts the EP off strong with groovy anxious guitar licks and raspy screams. Falling somewhere between THE BLED and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, the track is going to give you a bit of everything: metalcore, hardcore, progressive, post-hardcore, and instrumental. It’s a wash of color and emotion as the track moves through one movement after another. The next track, “The Merging” is a fever dream off hopelessness and anger before transitioning to a lucid middle breakdown like something you’d hear from SLEEPMAKESWAVES. The ending demands your attention as drummer Lucas’ double base pedal blasts in unison with the guitars. The immediacy on display is sublime.

The final (real) track is “Obscured”, and it’s just a nasty song. Guitarists Vinz and Manus really know how to write a complex hook (within a verse) that’s manic and gallops like a cocaine fueled horse.  The vocals are fierce, raspy, and compliment the instruments fantastically. Drummer Lucas’ blast beats guide the song to a tasty mid-track crescendo that breaks the action before the song changes direction and slows things down. Your head will be bobbing as smooth breakdowns back up feel good guitar solos. The song is a journey; one that you’ll want to take again.

The last track, “Outro” is the only drawback on what arguably could’ve been a perfect experience. The song is nothing more than filler. This is something that several bands tend to do on an EP and after decades of listening to music it still boggles my mind. We are treated to a great three track EP rather than four. Nonetheless, “Eclipse”, as well as BUY JUPITER as a whole, has been an breathe of fresh air. This EP will take you on reckless flights of crazy and fast, yet chill you out with pit stops of somber sunsets and reflections. It's topnotch and worth your attention.

Songwriting: 10
Originality: 10
Memorability: 9
Production: 10