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Titolo: First Contact/Last Warning
Condizione: Nuovo
Description: EDITORIAL REVIEWS
The Chairman of Jupiter Society, Carl Westholm, known from other Swedish acts like Carptree and Krux, now releases an epic concept album "First contact/Last warning".

In collaboration with people like Leif Edling (Candlemass, Krux) Mats Levén (Krux, ex Therion, Y. Malmsteen) and Declan Burke (Darwins radio, Frost) among many others, He gives us an album with the ambient but symphonic production known from Carptree and with a clear presence of Heavier elements . Big arrangements, small details, different vocalists and musicians specially chosen for each song makes it divers and intriguing. You are given one hour of music and exclusive artwork.

REVIEW
Certainly with a CD title such as this one can deduce that here would be innovative melodies, (and it certainly does not disappoint,) but very seldom is this type of music taken to such extremes. Much in the same vein as Farflung's 2008 A Wound in Eternity, the sound is lush, lavish and huge. The production is top notch, and the speakers from the opening bars of track 1 "The Pilot" is filled with big arrangements, huge choral accompaniments, and layers of strings, synthesizers and special effects. The vocals, while almost raw, fit excellently into the overall sound. And the keyboards of Carl Westholm are brilliant.

Opening with the futuristic "The Pilot," one gets transfixed by the opening sounds of a synthesizer giving images of a far off intergalactic place. "The Pilot" without as much as a missed beat blossoms into track 2 "Bismarck Explorer," a soft mesmerizing number with an almost hypnotic and ominous introduction. As the hard hitting drums and guitars come in, the sound becomes inescapable almost like that picture on the wall whose eyes seem to follow you around the room. Track 3, "Cold, Rigid and Remote," opens with a beautiful piano, but then the remainder of this 5-minute track flows into an almost vocal heavy opera. While this is a track to showcase the vocals, it may have been a benefit to be able to understand the lyrics as they were hard to discern and make out. Still though this track is intense, emotional and heavy. The guitar heavy, "Abduction," the eerie 11 minute almost metallic "The Enemy," the drums of "Solitude Unites Us," and the bending of the vocals of "8511" and the storyline of the closing track "Presumed Dying," featured a flamboyant piano as the track fades to a close.

Heavy with mood with elements of deep guitars, (as heard on "Presumed Dying,") here is a CD that will surely cater to science fiction fans. With a musical foundation of drums and guitars, the synthesizers float above the music giving these tracks lift and body. The vocals, while sometimes hard to make out, give these tracks emotion. Sometimes heavy, and sometimes light as air. And therein is what makes First Contact / Last Warning, a must listen to affair. The vocalists (many guest singers are used) know how to control their voices, and even with a space element a major theme of each of the tunes, the voices perfectly define the feeling that the songwriters were trying to create.

With not a shredding guitar solo to be heard, the beautiful pianos, special effects, vocals and lingering guitar chords make this a must have for fans of music heavy with texture and intensity. --Hardrock Haven

Back in the sixties and early seventies the idea of doing solo projects was shunned or viewed as a sign of the end for the band you were in. Today solo projects have become almost the norm. Solo projects have become yet another creative outlet for creative people. So it is with the new release under the name Jupiter Society entitled First Contact//Last Warning. Spearheaded by Carl Westholm (keyboards), perhaps best known as one-half of the band Carptree, he has gathered together Jonas Kallsback (drums), Stefan Fanden (bass), Mats Leven (vocals, drums), Nils Erikson (vocals, programming), Oivin Tronstad (vocals), Leif Edling (bass), Cia Backman (female vocals) and Ulf Edelonn (guitars) to produce a stirring symphonic masterpiece. An impressive cast representing such bands as Candlemass, Krux, Therion and others.



The hour long disc, First Contact//Last Warning consists of eight tracks, all of which tend to be on the longish side. All but two are seven minutes or more with the longest being eleven and half minutes. Stylistically the music created by Jupiter Society has much in common with Carptree; it is grand in scope, majestic, panoramic, large scale symphonic progressive rock. As might be expected, melody plays a significant role in these compositions. WhereJupiter Society is different is that here the music tends to be slightly heavier in tone. Not as heavy as say Therion but certainly just as complex. The arrangements are lush and full of dynamics. And while the guitar is there, it doesn t stand out anywhere near as much as the plethora of keyboards do. Structurally these compositions, being longer provide for ample sonic variety. There are many moody, soft and delicate almost ambient sections that contrast beautifully with the more grand and bombastic sections. This is the kind of music, driven as it is with the melody that sends shivers up my spine and makes the hair on my arms stand up! It is brilliant. Vocally, again there are times where I hear Carptree, but with each of the players taking a turn at the microphone there is a lot more vocal variety. This being a sci-fi concept each vocalist plays a part propelling the story along. Needless to say there are many opportunities for massed choirs creating these huge operatic-like sections.



If you are a Carptree fan but looking for something perhaps a little more complex and involved and maybe a little heavier, look no further because Jupiter Society is going to fit the bill nicely. Conversely if you are a Therion fan but looking for something just a little lighter with slightly more accessible melodies this will be just the ticket for you. First Contact//Last Warning is a masterful achievement that will also appeal to fans of Ayreon. The music here is packed with nuance and it s the kind of disc I can keep going back to over and over again and each time hear something new. Jupiter Society is easily one of my favorites for the year. --Jerry Lucky

One day soon, I suppose that all forms of media entertainment will merge and we will have a total immersion in sound, sight and physical sensation. Along the way, various types of media will ally themselves together in attempts to bring new life to the arts. We don't even stop to think about the union of music with most forms of visual communication. Whether it is films, TV shows, video games or whatever, music helps make the visual arts much more effective and whoever can tie music to another form of visual art will move ahead of the crowd.. for a while anyway.

One current link that makes a lot of sense is the union of science fiction and fantasy comics and graphic novels and progressive rock music. As is usual, let me say that I am about the one millionth person to come to this opinion and I must also admit that a lot of people are already approaching this idea from a multitude of angles. Prog is used as the soundtrack to some sci-fi based video games and it is just natural that some musicians have begun to produce music that bridges the gap between what is heard and what is seen.

Arjen Lucassen has produced several "space operas" with his Ayreon discs and now from the mind of Carl Westholm, best known for the bands Carptree and Krux, comes First Contact // Last Warning. This ominous sounding title is the first release from Jupiter Society, Westholm's newest band project which features the Carptree mastermind supported by a multitude of Swedish progressive musicians.

The first thing to make an impression on me was the cinematic quality of the 8 tracks presented on the disc. Most tracks begin with spacey ambient keyboard effects that set the stage for the song that follows. The next element of these tracks that stands out is the frequent use of pedal tones. Many of these compositions feature static bass lines while the keyboards move above the simple bass patterns. The guitars usually double the bass lines which leaves most of the melodic development to Westholm's keyboards and the cast of vocalists he assembled for this project. Everything revolves around the album's lyrics and First Contact // Last Warning tells the tale of a starship's crew attacked by an unknown enemy. Musically dark, cold and distant, the Jupiter Society's music is not meant to warm one's heart, but rather to send a chill down the listener's spine. It shares the same fine attention to detail that Carptree's discs display, but none of the pop elements that are essential to that band's character. The Jupiter Society takes a far heavier approach to their sound and the players and singers are well suited to the task.

The vocalists gathered for this disc include Nils Erickson, Oivan Tronstad, Cia Backman, Mats Leven (Krux, Yngwie Malmsteen) and Declan Burke (Darwins Radio, Frost). With all this vocal talent on display it's hard to choose a favorite but I have to give extra kudos to Leven, who reminds this listener of David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust days. Also contributing to the Society's debut disc are Leif Edling (Candlemass, Krux) on bass, Ulf Edelonn on guitars and Jonas Kallsback behind the drum kit, among others.

Jupiter Society will be sure to capture the ears and attention of many prog fans and maybe even a few unrepentant metal heads as well. Anyone who appreciates well written material with outstanding production values and stellar vocal performances should give this disc a spin. --Progressiveworld
Tipo: CD
Genere: Rock
Artista: Jupiter Society
Numero di dischi: 1
Paese di origine: USA
Etichetta discografica: Progrock Records
EAN: 0837792009771
Title Format: CD

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