"Reports From the Threshold of Death" by Junius
“Reports From the Threshold of Death,” Junius (Prosthetic)
Aruba’s distinctive divi-divi trees grow at a 45-degree angle because of the near-constant wind that sweeps across the little island nation.
Those who listen to the near-constant squalls of electricity from Junius might feel like human divi-divi trees, blown over from the noise and rooted in the band’s deep exploration of the afterlife on “Reports From the Threshold of Death.”
The Boston band couldn’t tackle a heavier theme, which was inspired by reports of near-death experiences, and they craft it in an appropriately somber sonic context driven by bracing guitars and the methodically drawn out delivery of vocalist Joseph Martinez.
Martinez’s calm, soaring voice suggests one should, “Never fear for your life” on “Betray the Grave” and notes, “We all shall float as one” on an “All Shall Float” that also includes his apparitional refrain of, “la-la, la-la-la-la.” Martinez can be a moody man — “I don’t want to review my life/It just kills me over and over again,” he sings in the sprawl of “Haunts for Love” — but the release is best when he sails off in uplifting melody. On “Transcend the Ghost” he captivates with, “You have arrived, welcome,” and on “Eidolon & Perispirit,” he beckons with, “Just bring me into your light/It’s better than you know/We’re ready for you now.”
Junius navigates tricky waters with this heady release, however, and the redundant arrangements, though compelling on an individual basis, feel interchangeable in composite. The result invites distraction, which is an unfortunate backfire for something so earnest.
In the 1988 dark comedy film “Heathers,” a dead character named Heather shares a scene with one of her living friends and complains, “My afterlife is so boring. If I have to sing ‘Kumbaya’ one more time ...”
These Junius songs aren’t as tedious as “Kumbaya,” but listeners might relate to Heather’s boredom after hearing so much repetition.
Rating (five possible): 3
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