Junius - The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist

Photo by learydotmark Review by Casey Boland

Can ass-kicking rock be intelligent? By its very nature, rock (and its subsets from punk to metal) is decidedly crude and visceral. Its primal instincts arguably preclude the need or desire to give it a brain. Let’s face it: few fans consume albums or go to shows to be intellectually stimulated. Despite such antipathy towards smarts, bands like Junius operate on a higher intellectual plane.

The Antediluvian Fire (excerpt)
Elisheva, I Love You

Junius constructs songs on girders of complexity. Though the material tends to wander, it’s dense and multi-layered. Shifts from intricate delicacy to seismic heaviness complement its cerebral component. Shades of Isis and Porcupine Tree color the songs, but Junius blazes its own path.

Joseph E. Martinez gives the band its distinctness with cleanly sung and clearly enunciated vocals. His soulful croon, reminiscent of Tears For Fears, lends the band a darkwave flavor. An almost ’80s goth tone blends with the symphonic swells of post-rock groups like Mono or Explosions in the Sky. This is most evident on the leaden Britpop of “Elisheva, I Love You.” Certainly this pairing is a problem for pigeonholing Junius. Its music is too loud for pop purists and too pop for metal connoisseurs. But this quality blesses the band with a unique character, something few bands ever develop.

The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist (The Mylene Sheath, 2009) is a concept album concerning the renegade philosopher Immanuel Velikovsky. Its lyrics are as carefully crafted as its music. This will sadly be lost on many who hear this record. But for a perceptive few, Junius will satiate cravings for heaviness in both sound and word.