Boston post-metal band Junius will celebrate the release of Sotera, their first full-length album in nearly nine years, with a special appearance.
The record marks the group’s first studio album since 2017’s Eternal Rituals for the Accretion of Light and signals a new chapter for the longtime underground favorites.
Junius is set to perform at Somergloom Fest in Somerville, Massachusetts, while also launching a summer U.S. tour in support of the release.
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For vocalist and guitarist Joseph E. Martinez, the album represents more than simply ending a lengthy gap between releases.
“Sotera feels like a rebirth for the band” and “is an act of devotion as much as it is a piece of music.”
The long wait between albums was not planned. According to Martinez, Junius spent years attempting to write new material following the COVID-19 pandemic but struggled to move forward creatively.
“Well, after Covid we were working on an album, but there was no progress. I wasn’t feeling inspired,” he said, per Distorted Sound.
That changed after Martinez listened to an interview with classicist author Dr. Ammon Hillman discussing figures from Ancient Greece and the origins of medicine.
“I heard this interview about the Ancient Greeks, where there was this woman, Medea, who was performing miracles, healing people. She was ‘christing.’ I realized this was the origin of modern medicine. I was floored,” he said.
“Even though we live in a male dominated society, our medicine and technology came from a woman. These things came from women.”
The discovery pushed Martinez into months of research through books and lectures, eventually providing the concept that would shape the band’s newest album.
The title Sotera comes from the Greek feminine form of savior or protector. The album explores themes centered on the divine feminine and figures from mythology and spirituality.
The release of Sotera also signals a major move for the group as Junius returns to the road for a summer run of U.S. performances.
The tour includes appearances in Baltimore, Youngstown, Detroit, Chicago, Indianapolis, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and a hometown-area appearance at Somergloom Fest in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Ahead of the album release, Junius introduced fans to the new era with the singles “Initiatrix” and “The Oracle.”
Discussing “Initiatrix,” Martinez said:
“Initiatrix distills the album into 3 minutes and 23 seconds, and it captures the heart of the record. It’s about willingly stepping into a ritualistic transformation, asking to be changed and accepting the consequences of that choice.”
The album contains eight tracks:
- “Disciple”
- “The Oracle”
- “Summon Her”
- “Initiatrix”
- “Darkwater”
- “Serpent”
- “Lucifera”
- “Scythian”
Despite periods of inactivity during the band’s nearly 20-year history, Martinez said Junius never truly disappeared.
“We’ve broken up a couple of times. We just didn’t tell anybody,” he said.
Martinez added that songwriting has remained a constant part of his life throughout the band’s quieter years.
“I’m always writing, whether it is for Junius or under a different name,” he said.
For fans who waited almost a decade for new music, Sotera marks the beginning of Junius’ next chapter rather than the end of a long silence.
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