Joviac – Here And Now

Label: Inverse Records
Release date: 03-04-2020

Despite track names like Malmö and Stockholm, prog metal up-and-comers Joviac are not from Sweden, but instead hail from Tampere in neighboring country Finland. The trio lists some of their major influences as Dream Theater, Toto, Queen, and Opeth, a peculiar combination that also shines through in their compositions in a surprisingly well thought-out harmony. Instrument-focused, moving, and inspirational, Joviac produce a softened prog metal that can almost be likened to power rock. Indeed, their music can be just as easily mistakable for the climactic song at the end of your favorite hero movie as it could be a lesser-known single from a singer-songwriter with a pleasant twang and a tinge of hope in his voice.

Joviac began as an artistic outlet for frontman Viljami Jupiter Wenttola who started the project in 2016 before recruiting Antti Varjanne to play bass. In 2017, the duo broke out with their short but very impressive self-titled album, sending out feelers and trying to complete the band. Soon after, drummer Rudy Fabritius and live guitarist Janne Korpela were added on and the group started out on tours throughout Finland. In 2018, Joviac released the single State of Mind, their first track composed as a full band. This year, after some thoughtful time in the studio, they have released their sophomore album, Here And Now.

Fittingly, the album begins with the instrumental track Intro, where Wenttola and crew take a fun and proggy jaunt that ultimately ends only slightly harder than it started, giving the listener just a sample of what is to come. The next track, Straws, was previously released as a shortened single but finds its full version on the album. This track is definitely heavier than what the previous album offered while still keeping the hopeful and lovely harmonies Wenttola has worked hard to achieve, his wandering guitar over a pensive refrain both charming and mysterious.

After this, Black Mirror makes a considerably harder turn, its riffs and tone more akin to classic prog metal artists. Awkwardly paced, shifting pitches on a dime, and emotionally-driven but difficult to pinpoint, this track is good, but may leave the listener applauding and unsure why. The midway point of this album happens to be the longest track as well as the second-released and eponymous single, Here And Now. This epic changes tone so abruptly and so often it practically tells an entire story by itself, changing from hard to soft, from triumphant to grieving, all while sprinkling in a few sneaky notes from a tambourine and a cowbell. While a bit drawn out, the technical skill displayed on this track is impressive as well as Wenttola’s ability to snap between moods, graciously aided by Fabritius who is able to match the pace on drums seemingly even before Wenttola himself.

The next track, Decay, has a very different sound from others Joviac have produced, the trio metaphorically tossing on a cape and extending a clawed hand, this song sounding like a ballad for junkyard vampires. The artists blend together beautifully, creating music that sounds like a groovy mixture of an organ and a flamenco guitar played behind a chorus of ghouls freshly dug up. Following this, Wenttola’s slightly off-key notes in Crossfire are a little off-putting but genuinely sweet. Some strange pauses and somewhat weak riffs make this track less strong than others, but it eventually pulls through in the end.

The final track, Fade Into The Light, is shockingly calm and evokes imagery of a sunset by the ocean, neon lights from the city nightlife barely visible in the distance. Slowly, the calm of this track is pulled back to reveal a burning passion that eventually bursts out, the trio in top form as they paint a beautiful picture between Wenttola’s playful riffs, Fabritius’ beats filling the silence between guitar notes, and Varjanne carrying them along. Right as it’s really getting started, the music comes crashing back down, fading out into a silence that feels both satisfying and like there should be so much more.

Teetering between fake edgy and genuinely empathetic, Joviac read as a bunch of softies trying to put on a tough face. While some may find this cheesy or laughable, their sound and willingness to lay themselves open is admirable and quite refreshing. Fans of Slipknot, Tool, and Tribulation who happily stuck around for Stone Sour, A Perfect Circle, and Jonathan Hultén’s solo career will definitely appreciate Joviac’s particular brand of music. This author finds Joviac’s previous album to be better than this year’s Here And Now, but that is not to say that this release is bad. Both albums have distinct moods and enough variety between songs for everyone to find a little something to enjoy, and Here And Now feels like the intermediary stepping stone between Joviac being good and being great.

Line up:

• Viljami Jupiter Wenttola – Vocals, guitar
• Antti Varjanne – Bass
• Rudy Fabritius – Drums

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