Junius is one of those bands that has always been hard to pin down into specific boxes, as even early on their sound encompassed so many different elements. Originally formed in 2000 as Dedspace before changing over to Junius in 2003, their earliest works had this intriguing sound that felt like alternative rock run through a healthy amount of post punk, post hardcore, and post rock but later works like Reports From the Threshold of Death shifted things towards a bit more metal. That material often gave me this 2000s post metal meets Deftones vibe on the surface, but underneath there were still so many other influences that became apparent with additional listening time. 2017’s Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light shifted things yet again with more of an emphasis on gothic rock/metal, but the band would go quiet for some time after its release. This year they’ve re-emerged with a new lineup in place alongside founders Dana Filloon and Joseph E. Martinez, and full-length number four Sotera ramps up the goth side significantly while keeping what made the band unique.
Opener “Disciple” comes in with all the elements that drew me to Junius originally, as the band layers haunting and eerie melodies over top of a much heavier foundation where the weightier grooves thump you right in the chest. It moves forward at a mid-tempo, methodical pace where the combination of light and dark tones draws you into more of a hypnotic state, and the band continues to make effective use of these elements as Sotera progresses. What’s noticeable is the increased emphasis on gothic rock/metal passages, as where Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light had already started to pivot this direction here it sounds like a lot of the material was written around it. Tracks like “Summon Her” and “Darkwater” are perfect examples, as the somber guitar and synth leads collide with brooding bass lines initially but the guitars get heavier and grittier as things progress. The latter is one of my favorite tracks on Sotera, as it has repeating rhythms and lead guitars that seem to hover above the rest of the band with a wistful presence but by the end things have built to a powerful climax where the distorted riffs steal the spotlight. On the other end of the spectrum, “Initiatrix” feels a bit closer to Junius’ past discography with its huge sound that gives that post metal meets Deftones sound, but other moments come through closer to The Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus crossed with mid-period Katatonia. “Lucifera” twists the formula yet again, opting for softer acoustic guitar and moodier elements that come through like a cross between gothic rock and dark folk before whipping things up into a denser soundscape. Across the eight-track run there is a good balance of huge, booming hooks that grab you on the first time through and slower burning melodies that take a few times to really sink in, making this an album that will pique your interest enough to come back and discover all its nuances.
Reports From the Threshold of Death was my jumping on point for Junius, and at that point Joseph E. Martinez utilized a higher pitched range that often soared over the recording and often drew comparisons to Deftones’ Chino Moreno. Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light began to pivot things towards some lower, gothic tinged singing as well as hints of harsher elements, and this is where Sotera picks up from. “Disciple” gives you a good idea of what to expect, as initially the singing is much moodier and has more of that gothic croon before heading into higher territory. I really like the way these two styles come together over the course of the album, especially on songs like “Initiatrix” where the airier singing gives off that Chino comparison one minute but then things give off more of an Andrew Eldritch tone the next. “Darkwater” and a few of the other tracks also head into full on screaming/growling, which is some of the most metal infused Junius has been on the vocal front. This is the most varied that the band has been in this aspect of their music, and it gives listeners just as much to dive into as the instrumentation.
A lot of bands have incorporated elements of gothic rock or metal into their material over the last decade, but Junius has done it in a way that continues to make them genuinely different. On the surface, Sotera feels like an intriguing fusion of post metal with gothic rock/metal, but like the rest of their discography there are a lot of other influences that give the songs individual identities. Some of it may be more of a slow burn and take a few times through to fully get its claws in you, but there are also tracks that have that initial wow factor and this makes Junius’ latest effort an incredible comeback. Sotera is available from Prosthetic Records.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg