Formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2019 by a group of experienced musicians, JUPITER CYCLOPS has one goal: to keep the flame of 70s proto-metal burning bright while kicking in some serious NWOBHM vibes for good measure. Their influences are as diverse as they come, drawing inspiration from the likes of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, and Iron Maiden with a healthy dose of classic rock thrown in.
But don’t let their vintage tastes fool you; lyrically, they’re exploring some seriously mind-bending territory, touching on everything from UFOs and witchcraft to apocalyptic visions, all with a healthy dose of humor to keep you on your toes.
There’s a lot of bands re-creating this sound nowadays, and not many of them have the wit or style to rise from the sludgy mire to exhibit revolutionary (or maybe evolutionary) traits like originality or flair. So it’s an absolute delight to stumble across these blokes, whose upcoming new record “Age Of The UFOnaut” is absolutely bulging at the seams with excitement and verve.
Basically they’ve taken all the best bits of the Seventies, heavy rock wise, and formed them in their own image. Aaron Peltz is a marvellous singer, taking the rawness of a young Sammy Hagar, a dash of Meniketti, and a whole lot of his own talent to deliver a compelling performance, which is only boosted by a commanding lead guitar performance from Dustin Lyon.
Built on the back of these two major operators, tracks like Between Worlds sound absolutely gargantuan, But on the album’s standout cut, Sinful Ways, they manage to elevate things to such a level as to appear almost Godlike. Lyon’s lead work is dazzling, bolstered by some on-acid rhythmic counterpunches from drummer Kyle Eades and rhythm buddy Jake Melius. Imagine Ram Jam duking it out with Montrose and you’re getting close…
Seriously, ”Age of The UFOnaut” is a stunning listening proposition, a forty minute mission to the heart of psych rock, and a glorious, freewheeling celebration of everything that’s great about heavy metal rock n’roll into the bargain. It’ll make you dance, it’ll make you bang your head, it’ll have you air guitaring high… all the good stuff.
Get it into your ears as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. UFOnaut
02.Between Worlds
03. Sinful Ways
04. Doomed
05. Down From The Inside
06. Chemical Voodoo
07. Way Down Below
08. Lumerian Nights
Jupiter Cyclops – Age Of The UFOnaut 2024
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