MISSION JUPITER
Aftermath LABEL 51 RECORDINGS
Eastern European trio achieve lift off with new singer.
The third album from Belarusian alt-proggers Mission Jupiter marks the debut of vocalist Kate Varsak, who takes over from Nastya Shevtsova. The production is contemporary, with big washes of sound, layered guitars, electronics and compressed drums. Human Nature and Sometimes It Hurts have arenafriendly choruses, but when the band dig in, the result is not dissimilar to VOLA, with guitarist Vlad Shvakel and drummer Eugene Zuyeu nodding towards djent with the drop-tuned heaviness of Self-Destruction. Varsak possesses the requisite power to cut through the big riffs and the emotional range to handle the album’s big ballad, Nothing Lasts Forever. Jak Spyniajecca Bol, the only tune sung in Belarusian, is a showcase for Varsak, which also brings out the band’s range, contrasting the chugging, heavy guitar with a swell of strings.