After the CLASSICAL ELEMENT tour through Europe in 2014, the Melodic Metal band Jupiter will return for a 10-date European tour, starting from 9 May, to promote their newest album Zeus ~Legends Never Die~. In addition, Jupiter will tour with singer KUZE, who joined the band last Summer. AVO had the chance to talk with founding member HIZAKI, during the Japan tour of Jupiter, to talk about the upcoming tour, the new album, the present day of Jupiter and the future. Active for 6 years, the band has many changes in the band line-up, including in the singing department. From the upcoming European tour, the Metal band will show its fans their growth.
AVO: European fans of Jupiter have been waiting for your comeback since your last European tour in 2014. What does it mean for you to be back in Europe this May?
HIZAKI: We finally made a new album after four years. We became more “Metal” and it is the best timing to go to Europe again.
AVO: Jupiter produced quite a few good songs that are loved by fans. What do you expect the European crowd would like the hear most in comparison to the Japanese crowd during the live shows of Jupiter?
HIZAKI: We always felt that the European audiences have more LOUD voices than the Japanese audiences. Please welcome us with your shouts!
AVO: During the coming European tour, you will share the stage with quite a few support acts from several countries. What do you think of the bands and what do you think of the variation of acts?
HIZAKI: It is a pleasure that the support bands come with us. We’ve got female vocal Metal bands, a European Visual/Rock band, a Japanese Visual Kei band. Together with us, the fans can see a great mixture on the stage. It is really wonderful.
AVO: Let’s take a look at the present day of Jupiter. Jupiter is active for 6 years at this moment, if you look back to the start of the band, the release of the first album, touring through several countries outside Japan till now, in what way do you think that you have grown as an artist and as a band?
HIZAKI: Fans always support us and gave us great memories and love. This is the reason for our growth.
KUZE © Jupiter
HIZAKI © Jupiter
AVO: You have welcomed KUZE last year in Jupiter. Since KUZE is not originally from a Visual Kei band, what are the main differences between his earlier work and this? And KUZE, how do you like it so far in Jupiter?
HIZAKI: KUZE challenged “growls” for our new album, maybe it is the biggest difference between his other band work and Jupiter.
KUZE: I can challenge many things because the other members show me their challenging spirit. We work hard and encourage each other, I love Jupiter.
AVO: Let’s talk about the newest release, the reason why you tour Europe: Zeus ~Legends Never Die~. It has been said that the new album is very artistic. In what way is the newest album artistic and what are the real differences between the new album and the older releases?
HIZAKI: We always set our goal to “beautiful, hard, and heavy”. We inherited this theme from the beginning of our history, but we added one more important element for this new album: It is more to be Heavy Metal.
TERU © Jupiter
AVO: The title of the album is interesting involving Zeus, the Greek God, being the equivalent of Jupiter, the Roman God. Why this choice for the album title and what does it say about the concept of the album?
HIZAKI: “ZEUS” from Greek Myth has the same meaning as our band name “JUPITER” from Roman Myth, which means that this album is expressing what we are. And also, it reflects the determinations that defeat any difficulties or sufferings.
AVO: With the combination of the subtitle ‘Legends Never Die’, does this mean that the newest album is in connection with all the changes that Jupiter has gone through in the six years and that you want your fans to know that Jupiter is still going strong?
HIZAKI: Absolutely, yes!
AVO: Jupiter is part of the Visual Kei scene and the music you make is a combination of Symphonic and Speed Metal. What does Jupiter do differently in comparison to traditional metal bands?
HIZAKI: As I answered earlier, “beautiful, hard, and heavy” is our band’s concept. This might be the comparison from traditional Metal bands.
AVO: Since in the west metal music is more prevailing, are you interested to get fans from that side too? How do you think you can interest people who like Japanese music and people who like metal music in general?
HIZAKI: We want our music to be listened to by many Metalheads regardless of borders between genres. In our hopes and beliefs, we will create a new future of the music scene with our styles.
AVO: After the European tour finishes, what will be the new focus for Jupiter?
HIZAKI: Our new focus will be: Touring with European Heavy Metal bands in the future, surpassing the border between Visual Kei and Heavy Metal. And of course, we want to perform at Metal festivals all over Europe!
AVO: Lastly, is there something you want to share for those who are interested to come to one of your shows during the European tour?
HIZAKI: We hope you will like our new album and we are looking forward to seeing you at our shows.
I want to thank Jupiter, in particular, HIZAKI and KUZE, for their time to answer the questions, Vain Productions, Editions Hikaru and EN.CORE ROCKS PR for the possibility to make this interview happen. The European tour of Jupiter will start on 9 May in Germany. More information about the upcoming tour can be found here.
