Jovian Litany-Heroes Leave

Self-Release/Independent
2015

E-mail submissions are the best as you never know exactly what you are in for. Site-founder/main man Metal Mark received this particular submission and promptly sent it my way. I have to admit that the e-mail's title alone peaked my interest. "A Doctor with a Metal Album.... Whaaaat?" found me filled with curiosity so I quickly sprung into action! And as that title goes it is a doozy! Or rather it's background information. For you see Jovian Litany is a one man recording project founded in 2008 by Charlotte, NC's Jeffrey Py and Mr. Py is of all things a Doctor of Audiology! Crazy weirdness all around with that one! But anyway, Jeffrey, who was raised on a strict diet of fried scrapple (Hell yeah! Yum!) and disappointment (Sadly I know the feeling all too well...), has produced a total of four albums under the Jovian Litany name with this particular nine- track album serving as the "band's" latest & great work! Devoted to the concept of loss, "Heroes Leave" is not so much a concept album as it is a themed one. Or so says the main man himself so who are we to argue? And if you are going to tackle the subject of loss then you just know that the music at hand has to help convey the heartache and absolute sorrow associated with a concept right? For Jeffrey Py and Jovian Litany that translates into something quite different (Or flat odd weird if you will!!!) but nonetheless completely satisfying! And that would be extreme metal mixed up with New Age with some Techno tossed in for good measure! Jeffrey Py's e-mail to Heavy Metal Time Machine suggested a release that was a "mish mosh of musical styles, alternating songwriting between a heavy album and an ambient album" and damn right if he didn't make good on that promise! The latest release from one-man band/solo project Jovian Litany offers listeners extreme material that borders on full-fledged death metal, ambient New Age passages and music that combines the two star-crossed lovers into one glorious slab of electronic metal mayhem! And all the while the mood is as dark and depressing as death rock making "Heroes Leave" one of those perfect releases for when all you want to do in life is turn the lights down low, tune out to the world and just get lost in the loneliness that is this bizarre ride we call existence! By moving back and forth between artificial studio creations and harsh/sick guitar work that at times recalls the best of the Floridian death metal scene(!) an album like "Heroes Leave" allows you the opportunity to slip out of this world for awhile. In other words,  "Heroes Leave" should be enjoyed with your headphones on so that there are no distractions other than the sound of your own beating heart and your personal thoughts so that when you slip out of time and space it's a clean and pure trip! As the music of Jovian Litany is as effective clean and focused as it is dirty and chaotic it is a smooth and seamless journey listening experience when it boils right down to it. And with each new spin of this album you're very likely find something new to appreciate. All told this nine-track album is very cool indeed and for the guitarist/vocalist responsible for "Heroes Leave" I say good on you my friend! Take pride in the creation of "Heroes Leave" Jeffrey as this mad cap metallic adventure is nothing short of fantastic! It's a shame that the music of Jovian Litany isn't more well-known, but hopefully this review and of course word of mouth can help change that. Let's hope so as this album is just too good to be kept under wraps! You can pick up a digital copy of "Heroes Leave"over here at CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jovianlitany3 Meanwhile you can find out more about the man, the myth and the legend either here: http://www.jovianlitany.com/ or here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jovian-Litany/144316111801