Junius
New York City, New York, United States
Music
Press
"Like the bands they resemble (Tears for Fears, the Cure, and Depeche Mode, primarily), Junius have a knack for translating weepy melodrama into anthemic choruses. Almost every song makes its careful way through a maze of subsections, but this maneuvering is often hidden behind an instantly memorable hook, which tends to make the record's esoteric conceit melt away instantly..."
"...a rich, immersive experience, a bleak jewel..." - Pitchfork Media
[The band] pulls off a perfect hybrid of Neurosis and the Smiths, striking a stunning balance of brutality and beauty... Their songs are spellbinding and heartbreaking, gripping from the first note to the last. A hard rock dream come true..." - RollingStone
Ever since Junius, whose signature is spaced-out guitar noise backed up with haunting vocals and driving beats, started rocking our headphones, we've been in a good place. This is dramatic stuff, kids, the kind of sound that takes us back to the Cure, the mainstay of our callow youth. If we admit to becoming addicted to the sound of lead singer and guitarist Joe Martinez's voice, does that make us sound like some kind of weird stalker? - The Boston Globe
Reminiscent of the qualities of retro alt but with a distinctly modern, almost futuristic vibe and sound, Junius produces alluring, addictive music. - Soundcheck Magazine
Dreamy, melodic, and dynamic. Junius is polished and musical, yet raw in its emotional impact. - The Noise
A dark and brooding new wave vibe . . . with an airy, atmospheric feel to it, reminiscent of spacey, metal-tinged acts like Hum and Cave In . . . sounding at times like one of Devo's more aggressive offspring. An intriguing blend of influences both new and old. - Northeast Performer
An electronica influenced guitar band whose songs are pretty darn good . . . trippy without sounding lost, and melodic without being unduly repetitive. - Amplifier Magazine
Sullen pop . . . unusual because the songs are extremely accessible and poppy, but then lapse into extreme mellowness. - Punk Planet
Discography
2004: Forcing Out the Silence (Radar Recordings)
2006: Blood is Bright (Radar Recordings)
2007: The Fires of Antediluvia (Radar Recordings)
2007: Junius (Radar Recordings)
2009: The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist (The Mylene Sheath)
2010: Junius / Juarez (UsTwo Records)
2011: Junius / Rosetta split (Translation Loss/The Mylene Sheath)
2011: Reports from the Threshold of Death (Prosthetic Records)
Photos
Bio
Junius has crafted their own distinctive style of genre-bending rock thats borne of experiments in isolation and asceticism. Massive walls of guitars drive with steadfast rhythm beneath soaring synth and vocal melodies, providing a passionate soundtrack for the journey into the light.
Formed in Boston in 2003, Junius recently released their highly anticipated sophomore full-length, Reports from the Threshold of Death, on Prosthetic Records. With their last album, The Martyrdom of a Catastrophist, Junius explored the controversial theories of scholar Immanuel Velikovsky. The concept was centered around the trials and tribulations of Velikovskys life, providing a captivating narrative to the bands expansive, dreamlike soundtrack, which Pitchfork.com called, a rich, immersive experience, a bleak jewel of a record that takes obsession as its theme and rewards it in equal measure.
Conceptually picking up where The Martyrdom left off (with the death of Velikovsky), Reports from the Threshold of Death chronicles the journey of the soul after the body dies. In writing this album, vocalist/guitarist Joseph E. Martinez was inspired by reports and accounts of near-death experiences. Millions of people have died and come back with experiences of an existence beyond bodily death, said Martinez. After finishing The Martyrdom, I wanted to tie in the next album with Velikovsky's passing, so it was only logical to explore these near-death reports. In doing so, I came up with a sort of guide for beyond the grave. The album is very personal to us (Junius), as we all have had too many friends and family pass away in recent years. I hope this album brings a little light to a seemingly dark subject.
Links
