It's difficult, difficult, as there are so many aspects to praise this album to the skies and just as many to find enough points of criticism. "The Martyrdom Of A Catastrophist," the debut album of the Boston quartet JUNIUS, comes as a concept album. And that is sometimes a bit too challenging for me. The hook here is the catastrophist Immanuel Velikovsky. Major developments in humanity are said to have always been triggered by catastrophes, whether natural forces or human origins. This explains the title and the recurring short samples of the Russian, which are absolutely fine in the opener but somehow become disturbing later on. Heavy fare. And this is for a CD that already has a lot going on. ++++ Musically, the CD moves in the post-wave genre with influences of post- and indie-rock. Everything here reminds one of the great Depeche Mode and Caspian, with thoughts occasionally drifting to The Cure. And that is also the great plus of the record, as musically everything is top-notch, well-coordinated, consistently thought out, and always close to the great role models; the vocals carry the melodies and are also not really far from Depeche Mode. Everything is good so far, but the first major downside is the lack of highlights. To put it harshly, the 10 songs drift along from the first to the forty-ninth minute. It's certainly not that bad, but it's rather a pity that even after multiple listens, no solid, no compelling memory remains. Highlights tend to appear only briefly, whether it's the somber, dark to melancholic mood of the songs, vocal nuances, or perfectly placed accents. ++++ The production has also not been skimped on. Everything has depth and is perfectly coordinated, except for the vocals, which stand out too much and seem a bit too dominant. Perhaps then it is overproduced?!? ++++ Overall, however, the positive aspects prevail, so that the small weaknesses must certainly be mentioned but do not necessarily have to be considered too disturbing.
