Review Summary: Jurojin combines a unique sound structure between Eastern musical influences and that of Tool to make some amazing prog rock.
Few times will many ever happen upon music that is truly ground breaking and one has to admit, several factors have to come into play for something like that to happen. Jurojin is an interesting group to say the very least as they have seen their comparisons to the likes of Tool and other previous acts such as Rishloo, but I don't see many are truly understanding the unique formula that the group executes so well. As a debut album we often expect something interesting as fans want to hear territory that simply isn't explored. While there are some clear influences from the likes of Tool in songs like "The Dreaming" you start to see the group really portray its individual uniqueness on a track like "Proem" that almost makes you wanna take a trip out to the East and enjoy the wondrous sites in that part of the world. Who knows, with those bongos there you might just find yourself meditating like a Hindu if you are easily influenced by the sounds of the group. I really can put an album like this on play and know that I'm about to hear some nice progressive rock that, while still being influenced by contemporaries in its field, still maintains a nice sound that isn't exactly going to be replicated anytime soon. Jurojin combines a unique sound structure between Eastern musical influences and that of Tool to make some amazing prog rock.
The most unique part of this album was the concept behind it. I really felt as though there was some type of connection between the associations we often make with people and the almost asenine comments that people make in response to our conversations with those same people. The anger and raw passion of such ideas really take an emotional vocal tone on a track like "The Liar". At first the lyrics point out that he could be talking about an initial distrust in a past relationship but upon the latter part of the song we see that the front man could be attacking the hypocritical comments that people make in society and how such a hypocritical statement might provoke negative energy among the scape of one's dreams. That's where we find ourselves almost in a classical head nod like fashion upon the inception of the track "The Dreaming". Although I haven't yet deciphered the story quite yet (even with repeated listens), I do feel that this conclusive track is indeed pointing out how crazy the visual scope of our dreams really are. Now in Eastern myth there is this concept of the "Kundalini awakening" and it seems to have some sort of connection to that of "lucid dreaming". I'm no expert in this field of study I assure you, but that's what really did it for me. Not only is the lyrical content of this album thought provoking, but it really makes use of some incredible guitar delay and those........bongos. While we have seen other groups make use of bongos in their sound structure, I don't feel that another group can really replicate the Eastern worldly sound that Jurojin has committed themselves to here. If only it wasn't limited to half an hour.
