Away Team

JANUS- ‘Nox Aeris’

REALID Records/Warner ILG

Rating: 9 out of 10

Reviewed By: Jay Rybak

 

 

The first time I heard the single ‘Eyesore’ from Janus’ 2009 debut Red Right Return, I became an instant fan.  Needless to say I had been impatiently awaiting the latest offering from the Chicago based rockers… and good things come to those who wait, very good things.  For those of you unfamiliar with Janus, think 10 Years meets Filter.  The perfect blend of melodic, yet heavy, with a hint of electronic.

As evidenced by the first single ‘Stains’, ‘Nox Aeris’ is that quintessential Janus album, yet with this offering there is one thing that really stood out to me.  Not to detract from the great talents that comprise the rest of the band, but Johnny Salazar is a phenomenal drummer.  You get a little taste in the first track ‘In Flames’, but the cymbal-crashing, double-bass smorgasbord ‘Stray’ is a glaring example, with the track that follows, ‘Numb’, serving as a delicious dessert.

Pair this newfound respect for Salazar, with the shredding of Mike Tyranski, and the vocal prowess of David Scotney and the stars align.  The band as a whole clicks on all cylinders in the heavy hitters ‘A Promise To No One’ and ‘Polarized’, my two favorite tracks off the album, and two more reasons why ‘Nox Aeris’  is in constant rotation in this writer’s playlist, and should be in yours.

To put it simply, if Duran Duran got massive testicular implants, and broke onto the scene in 2012, the result would be ‘Nox Aeris’.  This album is a must have and comes very highly recommended.

‘Nox Aeris’ is available now on iTunes, and hits stores Tuesday, March 27th.  For more info on Janus, including tour dates and to purchase music, visit the band’s official website.

 

 

JANUS—singer David Scotney, guitarist Mike Tyranski, bassist Alan Quitman and drummer Johnny Salazar—experienced great success with their 2009 debut album, RED RIGHT RETURN, but the band’s new album, NOX AERIS, reveals how far they’ve come.

That musical revelation is the self-produced NOX AERIS, which is due out March 27 on REALID Records (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group).

The first single “Stains” explores what can happen when you don’t follow your heart, the marks left on your spirit when you become someone you’re not. “It embodies what I was trying to say on the record,” says singer David Scotney, “it’s a dark point of view, but represents a cathartic process of self-healing.”

In 2012 touring news, the band’s first round of tour dates will be with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut starting February 24 in Grand Rapids, MI. Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

The record’s title, which is Latin for “night air,” comes from the 14th Century, a period where a third of the European population was killed off by the plague. Then, people believed going outdoors at night would cause them to succumb to the Black Death. While writing NOX AERIS, JANUS found this idea to be an apt metaphor for their own journey, preconceived notions of their own being flipped around as they became a bigger, more established band since the release of RED RIGHT RETURN. NOX AERIS reveals who JANUS is and what they’ve gone through.

Check out JANUS with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut at any of the following stops:
Fri 2/24 Grand Rapids, MI Orbit Room
Sat 2/25 Fort Wayne, IN Piere’s
Sun 2/26 Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theatre
Tue 2/28 Portland, ME State Theater
Wed 2/29 New York, NY Irving Plaza
Fri 3/2 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Sat 3/3 Atlantic City, NJ House of Blues
Mon 3/5 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
Tue 3/6 Norfolk, VA The Norva
Thu 3/8 Knoxville, TN Valarium
Fri 3/9 Nashville, TN Marathon Music
Sat 3/10 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Sun 3/11 Springfield, MO Gillioz Theatre
Tue 3/13 Wichita, KS Cotillion Ballroom
Wed 3/14 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium
Fri 3/16 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom









For more JANUS click here.

January 19, 2012 — JANUS—singer David Scotney, guitarist Mike Tyranski, bassist Alan Quitman and drummer Johnny Salazar—experienced great success with their 2009 debut album, RED RIGHT RETURN, but the band’s new album, NOX AERIS, reveals how far they’ve come.

That musical revelation is the self-produced NOX AERIS, which is due out March 27 on REALID Records (through Warner Music Group’s Independent Label Group).  The first single, “Stains,” is already getting spins at WIIL (Chicago), KPNT (St. Louis), WBUZ (Nashville), WJJO (Madison), WWBN (Flint), KHTQ (Spokane), as well as SiriusXM’s “Octane” and “Hard Drive XL.”  Early feedback includes Zigz at WBUZ (Nashville), who says, “If ‘Stains’ is a taste of things to come… then 2012 is going to be a great year for Janus.  They’ve hit on a new level with ‘Stains’… this track is righteous.”

 “Stains” explores what can happen when you don’t follow your heart, the marks left on your spirit when you become someone you’re not.  “It embodies what I was trying to say on the record,” says singer David Scotney, “it’s a dark point of view, but represents a cathartic process of self-healing.”

In 2012 touring news, the band’s first round of tour dates will be with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut starting February 24 in Grand Rapids, MI.  Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

The record’s title, which is Latin for “night air,” comes from the 14th Century, a period where a third of the European population was killed off by the plague.  Then, people believed going outdoors at night would cause them to succumb to the Black Death.  While writing NOX AERIS, JANUS found this idea to be an apt metaphor for their own journey, preconceived notions of their own being flipped around as they became a bigger, more established band since the release of RED RIGHT RETURN.  NOX AERIS reveals who JANUS is and what they’ve gone through.

RED RIGHT RETURN came out in September 2009 on REALID Records and spawned the Top 10 Active Rock hit, “Eyesore.”  They spent months on the road touring with Chevelle, Sick Puppies, Sevendust, Pop Evil, Halestorm, Five Finger Death Punch, and Alice In Chains.  JANUS also sold-out numerous headlining shows of their own, appeared on MTV’s “Headbangers Ball” and performed in the biggest rock festivals in the U.S., including Rock On The Range.  Absolutepunk.net raved about the album:  “There are a few bands, given the opportunity, could take the radio by storm.  JANUS is a perfect example of this type of band.  If they were given the chance, and played on some larger radio stations alongside all of our alternative ‘favorites’ (sound-alikes), they could earn themselves hordes of fans.”  While Away-team.com hailed in a 9 out of 10 album review:  “Brilliant on many levels and impeccably engineered and produced to perfection.”

Check out JANUS with Chevelle and Middle Class Rut at any of the following stops:

 DATE               CITY                             VENUE

 Fri 2/24             Grand Rapids, MI          Orbit Room

Sat 2/25            Fort Wayne, IN              Piere’s

Sun 2/26           Niagara Falls, NY          Rapids Theatre

Tue 2/28            Portland, ME                 State Theater

Wed 2/29          New York, NY               Irving Plaza

Fri 3/2               Providence, RI              Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel

Sat 3/3              Atlantic City, NJ            House of Blues

Mon 3/5            Baltimore, MD               Rams Head Live

Tue 3/6             Norfolk, VA                   The Norva

Thu 3/8             Knoxville, TN                 Valarium

Fri 3/9               Nashville, TN                 Marathon Music

Sat 3/10            Indianapolis, IN            Egyptian Room at Old National Centre

Sun 3/11           Springfield, MO                         Gillioz Theatre

Tue 3/13            Wichita, KS                   Cotillion Ballroom

Wed 3/14          Omaha, NE                   Sokol Auditorium

Fri 3/16             Oklahoma City, OK        Diamond Ballroom

For more JANUS visit the band’s official website here.