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SHADOW OF JUPITER Returns with 2nd Ground-Shaker ‘BONES’

~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~

By Billy Goate

It's all about riffs and atmosphere on the latest album from Chicagoland players SHADOW OF JUPITER. Their last, Porta Coeli charted #20 on the Doom Charts in 2023, and their upcoming 'BONES' (2026) is sure to be positively received by fans and critics alike. Seven tracks, well apportioned in terms of mood and tempo, making this a balanced feast indeed.

The title track brings Soundgardenesque flair, as in tracks like "Black Rain" and "Searching With My Good Eye Closed," where the dynamics start from barely audible and gradually crescendo into something explosive. In SOJ's "Bones," the world is just shutting down for the night and taking its time to stretch into dreamy slumber. Horizon smothers the last remains of the sun. Before dawn you navigate the pain alone. At 1:50 a strong riff swells, contrasted with melting vocals and accented by mysterious arid touches on the strings, and this leads to a short, but heartfelt chorus of a racing mind. And the stones you're takin', for the sins that aren't your own. If King Buffalo's "Sun Shivers" starts the day on your playlist, "Bones" will surely finish it.

The pace quickens following this on "Whatever God You Fear," which is just a chestful of brooding intensity. Know that I'm not sorry. I have no regrets. Done with twisted words, I've had my fill of passive threats. It's a song, it seems, about impending confrontation and the toll of unresolved grievances.

The band has always excelled with slower, doomier, blues-based slow-burners (such as "Fate of Nations" on the previous LP) and there are several on the present record to keep acolytes satiated, including "Ugly on the Inside." Here the gem is sixth track "Riot Dogs," which I will single out as my favorite of this spin. There's something bittersweet and languishing about it, yet with a powerful flow that keeps you constantly grounded to its center of gravity.

Some of these tracks tap right into grinding mid-90's grunge, but excel it at the same time, such as "Echo Chamber," which has that deadly Core era STP feel. Other tracks, like "Rumblestrip," shift into desert groove mode, with a Sabbath meets COC feel in the axe-handling and mighty clashing chords. The lower end riffing between Scott Brakebill’s bass and Colin Peterson’s guitar on “For Heaven Above” perfectly scratches that ear-worm itch as the record closes. All the while, John Piotrowski's cool crooning keeps us anchored to the experience, buttressed by Adam Kazragys's workman drum show.

Drenched in desert, doom, grunge, and psychedelic vibes, Shadow of Jupiter's Bones emerges on Ripple Music in vinyl, compact disc, and digital formats on Friday, July 10th (get it here). Stick it on a playlist with Soundgarden, King Buffalo, Sasquatch, Goatess, and Bronco Forte.

Give ear...

Listen to Shadow of Jupiter - Bones, a playlist curated by Ripple Music on desktop and mobile.

SOME BUZZ

Shadow of Jupiter is a Chicago/NW Indiana-based outfit whose roots run deep in the heavy underground. From proto-doom to the heavy, stoner sounds of the 70’s, their unique combination of soulful vocals complements their heavy, riff-driven scores. Author of Sonic Seducer and heavy underground music critic Sunil Singh dubbed their music “Fury Blues”, perfectly acknowledging their blend of Robin Trower’s tasty tones mated with the bleak melancholy of Sabbath and the anger of Corrosion of Conformity.

Their 2023 self-released album, Porta Coeli, placed at #20 on the monthly Doom Charts and #19 on Desert Psychlist’s Best of 2023. These accolades propelled Shadow of Jupiter into the sonic jetstream with incredible shows as the supporting act for many highly acclaimed national and international heavy underground bands touring through Chicago. Shadow of Jupiter also performed at Ripplefest Texas, Rhune Mountain Festival, Grand Rapids Doomfest and HUFR Fest.

With punishing riffs and a fiery energy that leave you staggered yet always drawn back for more, their sophomore album Bones weaves together the depth of doom metal, lumbering heavy blues grooves, a searing touch of psychedelia and Middle Eastern magic into a journey that’s as immersive as it is brutal. Icing on the doom cake and already a trademark of the SOJ sound: a mind-bendingly soulful performance from vocalist John Piotrowski that ties the whole album story together. Fans of everything from Trouble to Corrosion of Conformity and Wo Fat should love this!