blood.sweat.tears music syndicate | est. 5.02

Monday, March 22, 2004

Review: Jairus - The Need to Change the Mapmaker

artist: jairus
album: the need to change the mapmaker
label: skipworth records
released: 3/22/2004 (europe)


by: eduardo moutinho


The once fertile and promising fields of melodic hardcore have gone through tough times in recent months, with hopesfall presenting a damaged, nearly unrecognizable harvest via A Types and Taken providing its final luscious bounty, Between Two Unseens, in the summer of 2004. Yet, one crop is green and vibrant, nourished by a glorious and revolutionary sound.

And that crop is marked "Jairus."

Metaphors aside, Jairus (jy-russ) is the band that everyone needs to listen to right now. The Britsh band's debut album, The Need to Change the Mapmaker, is stunning, and it has given me hope for the future of melodicore. Every song is unique and beautiful. It is impossible for me not to think of hopesfall in its prime when I listen to this record. The guitars are moody and atmospheric, yet they are aggressive and driving. Percussion is technical and precisely arranged. The vocalist expertly exudes high-pitched, full-sounding, wails with spoken word and singing thrown sporadically throughout the tracks. Every song is solid, highlights being the dark and drawn-out "Ara Pacis," schizophrenically-paced "And Caligula Blushed," and fantastic "Cut the Six Minute Caller."

When talking to my friend about the band, I told him, "Jairus is more of a true band than anybody that's out there." What I mean is that all the instruments feed off of each in a natural symbiodic relationship. Everything sounds appropriate and well-positioned. The songs come across as epic. In a way, it's aural poetry. While the songs don't display completely organic structures, they manage to break the barrier of traditional rock music. The breakdowns are melodic and stylized. In simple terms, these guys like to play music, and they do it incredibly well.

What Jairus is creating is the future of hard music. I just hope they don't stray away from this sound in the future.

favorite song: "ara pacis"

rating: 97%/100%

listen to jairus