From the sense of seething class warfare set to explode from the poetic heart of the best At The Drive In songs to author Alan Furst’s pre-World War II novels about rising horror and disillusionment, a lot of the art I consume lately is about everyday people coping with forces bigger than them. Perhaps, in a new day of alarmingly spiking fascism, that is simply a survival mechanism. I’ve always been drawn with scalpel precision to stuff that has more layers at work than meet the eye, however. From Philip K. Dick’s pre-emptive crime solving police state meditation Minority Report to Planetary and Transmetropolitan comics scribe Warren Ellis’ latest tremendously juicy psy-op and intrigue-heavy reboot of the Wildstorm setting, I particularly appreciate entertainment where the characters are familiar yet somewhat futuristic, many of them damaged yet with a core sense that love and will must triumph.
On my 2015 year end list for a popular metal site Metalriot.com I included a little Boston trio named InAeona. Their Prosthetic Records release Force Rise the Sun sounded like just that, light cresting a planet on a massive scale. Hard rock and industrial metal fans might imagine the ambitious Title of Record-era from ’90s heroes Filter if fronted by a more cerebral guitar-wielding riff priestess from space and a shit-hot rhythm section with bottomless pocket and groove. Now finally the group’s touching down on Earth once again to visit Kingston on Thursday, April 20 at BSP as support for critical proggy post-metal darlings Junius (whom Rolling Stone once famously called “a perfect hybrid of Neurosis and the Smiths.”)
Both bands rely on dynamic build and release and manage to capture our times and many facets of the human condition in their oft-sprawling compositions. InAeona are a little more standard-rock in composition to Junius’ experimental meanderings, but both are very effective. They manage to channel a lot of life, fear and bravery into their art.
“We’re honored and very excited for the shows with Junius,” says InAeona’s own Bridge Laviazar. “Their talent and intensity is unmatched. We feel uplifted sharing the stage with such a huge and influential band and I truly feel the audience is in for an experience that will move them to the ends of the earth.”
Junius is touring in support of new record Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light, a brainy and often tribal triumph that contains non-ironic song titles like “Heresy of the Free Spirit” and “A Mass for Metaphysician.” They have been often enamored of philosopher and fascinating celestial catastrophist Immanuel Velikovsky of Worlds in Collision fame. They’re also unashamed to bring gorgeous melody into the sub-genre of post-metal where growls are still often a default setting for people who are perhaps afraid to sing. Like the perhaps more well-known act Pallbearer, Junius have somehow crafted a more hi fi sounding new album without losing their inherent intensity.
InAeona are between releases while Bridge and her band have been in writing mode, which for her is a very intense process of digging deep. She told me they were really looking forward to shaking things up and hitting the road for this brief, six-date run for an adrenalizing boost.
“Without a doubt the performances on this tour will be unlike what has been seen before, simply because of the unique symbiosis that Junius and InAeona easily fall into,” she elaborates. “We complement each other in a very real way. Both bands use our unique voices to tell a story that is deep and connecting, equally beautiful and heavy, both brutal and emotive.”
While some bands like to toot their own horn and make things sound extra epic, I can assure you that her words ring very true. Indie rock-leaning fans or people who generally favor more straight up rock are encouraged to not miss this. It is going to be more of an experience than just an average concert.
Local heavyweights Clover will open the show with the most aggressive set of the night, but don’t use all your headbanging tokens up early.
Earlier in the month you can catch a free show at The Anchor on Saturday, April 15 when Brooklyn’s noir folk ukelele and guitar duo Charming Disaster bring their storytelling vibes to town. Their song “Ghost Story” was featured on the hit podcast Welcome to Night Vale and they have built up a reputation since for an engaging live show. Quirky and fun but with gothic bite, they are touring the East Coast in advance of their second album, Cautionary Tales.
Well, that is it for this week’s edition. I continue to love conversing with you all on a weekly basis in print or on the street and endeavor to make this a space for cool stuff to be showcased. Feel free to hit me up on Facebook if you have event coverage in mind or want to get me hip to a new location in town or just tell me how handsome I am. Until next time, get out there and enjoy some of the fresh spring air every other day between depressing, rainy and emotionless pockets of drizzly gloom. We need to encourage the flowers to bother growing for us this year.
Join the family! 
