Boston post-metal band, Junius, will release its new LP, ‘Sotera‘, on June 26 via Prosthetic Records. ‘Sotera’ is Junius’ first full-length LP in nearly a decade, following 2017’s Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light, a recording that Rolling Stone noted, “takes the band’s alternately soaring and crashing sound to even more diverse places.” Produced by Junius vocalist/guitarist, Joseph E. Martinez and Tom Syrowski (Blackberry Smoke, Mastodon), ‘Sotera’, in Martinez’s words, “feels like a rebirth for the band” and “is an act of devotion as much as it is a piece of music.” Pre-order/save Junius‘ ‘Sotera’ at this location.
Harmonizing bright transcendence, heightened consciousness, coiled ear-worming, and emotional swell in like degree, ‘Sotera’s’ ambient shoegaze metal is expansive and deep, best experienced unhurriedly. Call it sound as relief and release; intense undercurrents of magnetic volume attached to an almost symphonic use of motion. Fully realized music as exhilarating as it is ghostly. Whereas earlier Junius records wrestled with cataclysms, escaping Samsara and what might come after death, ‘Sotera’ shifts the focus toward something more immediate: restoring balance through the worship of the divine feminine.
“The word Sotera is the feminine form of savior or protector in Greek, and it perfectly captured what the album was circling around,” offers Martinez. “This album is a musical invocation that explores the divine feminine as a force of transformation and balance. Medea stands at the threshold. In Sotera we’re calling upon Hekate, her mother, to guide us in her resurrection. The Oracle as a loving but ignored prophet. Lucifera appears as the punished light-bringer. The Initiatrix is the one who begins the rite.”
The first track released from ‘Sotera’ is the surging “Initiatrix”. Direct and succinct, “Initiatrix” explores the use of intentional gestures as boosters for cognitive and emotional change. Stream a striking video for Junius‘ “Initiatrix”, created by Joseph E. Martinez, at this location.
“‘Initiatrix” distills the album into 3 minutes and 23 seconds, and it captures the heart of the record,” says Martinez. “It’s about willingly stepping into a ritualistic transformation, asking to be changed and accepting the consequences of that choice.”
Track listing:
1.) Disciple
2.) The Oracle
3.) Summon Her
4.) Initiatrix (stream VIDEO)
5.) Darkwater
6.) Serpent
7.) Lucifera
8.) Scythian
Try to stick just one label, descriptor, or adjective on Junius and it won’t hold—they resist it entirely. For over twenty years, the Boston-based five-piece has moved fluidly between extremes: shouts and hushes, grit and sheen, crushing intensity and hypnotic restraint. In the process, they keep stretching and reshaping the only genre that can loosely contain them—metal—pushing past its edges. That approach often means stepping away from metal’s typical barrage of down-tuned riffs in favor of a wider palette of textures, detours, and emotional tones.
“Mythic, atmospheric, melodic post-metal?” surmises Martinez when pressed to provide a CliffsNotes descriptor of Junius’ sound. “Over the years we’ve been labeled post-punk, post-rock, and now post-metal, in that order. We’ve never really cared too much about the label, but post-metal seems to be the one people have settled on for us. We see it as heavy music that prioritizes movement and melody over aggression for its own sake. What we’ve always tried to do is balance weight with emotional lift. The heaviness creates the gravity, but the melody is what carries you into the ether.”