Review By Ian Walker
In a world where genre lines blur and geographical borders dissolve in the digital ether, it’s bands like Mission Jupiter that remind us of rock’s power to both transcend and transform. Hailing from Minsk, Belarus, this alternative metal collective has flown just under the radar—until now. With their third full-length album Aftermath, released on June 20th, 2025, Mission Jupiter makes a defining leap forward. This isn’t just an album; it’s a declaration of artistic arrival.
Central to this transformation is the addition of powerhouse vocalist Kate Varsak, whose voice ignites Aftermath with a thrilling emotional range and technical finesse. Her inclusion is not a mere lineup change—it’s the band’s rebirth. From the haunting vulnerability of “Sometimes It Hurts” to the grandeur of “Jak Spyniajecca Bol,” Varsak threads emotion through every verse like a flame through velvet.
The album’s opener, “Revelation,” is aptly named. It sets the tone with atmospheric build-ups and searing riffs, uncoiling like a serpent ready to strike. Then comes “Sometimes It Hurts,” praised by Prog magazine as “uplifting and dramatic melodic prog.” That’s no overstatement. The track builds steadily, anchored by Varsak’s vocals and underpinned by guitarist Vlad Shvakel’s clean yet ferocious tone. Drummer Eugene Zuyeu keeps it all together with dynamic shifts that move from whisper to thunderclap.
“Human Nature” continues this upward trajectory, marrying the ethereal textures of Cocteau Twins with the muscular punch of alt-metal. It’s a high-wire act between melody and menace. Metal Talk hailed it for its moody layers and haunting vocals, and rightly so. It’s cinematic in scope but never loses the intimacy that makes Mission Jupiter’s songwriting resonate.
Things take a darker turn on “Self-Destruction,” a slow-burning lament that transforms into a sonic tempest. It’s emotionally claustrophobic in the best way—an auditory descent into the interior collapse that accompanies personal reckoning. Then there’s “Crippled Country,” a politically tinged anthem with industrial tones and dystopian lyricism that reflects the band’s Eastern European roots and their acute awareness of societal fractures.
But the centerpiece of the record may very well be “Jak Spyniajecca Bol.” Sung in the band’s native tongue, the song is a fusion of Eastern European pathos and Eurovision grandeur. This could have easily fallen into the realm of novelty, but thanks to Varsak’s impassioned delivery and Shvakel’s masterful melodic phrasing, it becomes transcendent. It’s a rare crossover moment that speaks to both the band’s cultural identity and universal emotional truths.
“Bittersweet (Love Song)” offers a brief reprieve, floating in on delayed guitar tones and minimalist percussion. Here, Varsak channels the tenderness of Björk and the melancholy of Florence Welch. It’s the emotional exhale the album needs before diving into the heavier terrain of “The Dark.” That track, true to its name, is a dirge-like exploration of despair, where Zuyeu’s drums mimic the stuttering heartbeat of a fading hope.
“Nothing Lasts Forever” is bittersweet in tone, echoing the inevitability of loss with stadium-sized choruses and cinematic sweeps of saxophone from Dmitri Soldatenko. This unexpected addition adds a noir-like texture that elevates the song into uncharted emotional territory. It’s a stroke of genius—one of several sprinkled throughout Aftermath.
The album closes with “This Is Not The End,” a track that feels like both a farewell and a beginning. It’s a curtain call soaked in resolve and resilience. Here, all of Mission Jupiter’s strengths coalesce: layered production, lyrical depth, and Varsak’s transcendent vocal performance.
Producer credits are notably absent in the official press materials, but whoever helmed the studio sessions deserves praise for allowing the band’s complex arrangements to breathe while never diluting their impact. Aftermath is meticulously layered but never overwrought. The production allows for moments of silence to feel just as powerful as the inevitable crescendos.
In the end, Aftermath is not just an album—it’s an artistic pivot. It signals that Mission Jupiter are no longer just a promising act from an overlooked corner of Europe; they are a world-class band ready to storm global stages. Fans of Lacuna Coil, Evanescence, and even Katatonia will find much to love here, but Aftermath is too unique to be boxed into any single genre.
This is a band fully aware of their moment—and ready to own it. And if Aftermath is any indication, Mission Jupiter are far from done reaching for the stars. In fact, they’ve just ignited their thrusters.
TRACKLISTING
1 Revelation
2 Sometimes It Hurts
3 Human Nature
4 Self-Destruction
5 Crippled Country
6 Jak Spyniajecca Bol
7 Bittersweet (Love Song)
8 The Dark
9 Nothing Lasts Forever
10 This Is Not The End
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