This story is one from the vault, one that in the grand scheme of things, was a vibrant but brief flicker that occurred over three decades ago. It's the tale of Jusolis, a cult favorite rock band in Chile that emerged with great energy and promise in the early 90s. Fueled by the stifled anger spurred by the oppressive dictatorship of former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, a cultural revolution blossomed throughout the country at the end of his rule, and Jusolis drew upon their rage and newfound freedom when they created their angst-ridden blend of stoner rock, grunge, and metal.
In spite of being considered to have great promise with a four-album record contract from BMG on the table, Jusolis was not immune to the sudden drastic changes that often occur in young adulthood. With life taking them to (literally) different sides of the globe, the group had no choice but to disband just a few years after their formation. Hence, that budding flame that had rapidly escalated to a roaring fire was just as quickly snuffed out.
However, the dying embers were stoked in 2024 when the band decided to head to the studio and properly record first legitimate album. Jusolis made their way to BYM Studios in Santiago and dusted off six tracks they'd composed between 1992-1994, a time when most of the band was still in high school. With the mastering help of Jack Endino (who has worked with 90s greats such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, and L7 as well as modern stoner rock favorite Nebula), Jusolis gave life to the album that almost never was. Best of all, they stayed true to the sound, style, and mission that inspired their start all those years ago.
.jpg "Jusolis Self-Titled Album Cover Photo")
Jusolis - (self-titled)
1.) Grua
Beginning the album with Grua feels like stepping out of a time machine back into what was, in my humble opinion, the best decade for music - the moody, gritty, and darkly authentic prime of stoner rock, grunge, and alternative metal. Grua has a barreling gait in its verses and a dense and lumbering one in the choruses, oozing sweaty music festival mosh pit energy. Not only does this song deliver some major nostalgia, but those heavy, rumbling choruses in particular have a profoundly hypnotic effect, putting me in the happiest of trances as I subconsciously nod along.
2.) Take the Bone
Take the Bone is a track that blazes by at lightning speed, picking up the pace considerably but still bringing the density and weight introduced in the previous track. This song has massive alternative metal and punk energy, with its infectious chorus quickly lodging itself in your brain (you won't complain). Take the Bone is blistering, high-octane fun.
3.) Sweet Weed
Perhaps needless to say, Sweet Weed is very much a stoner song (you won't complain about that, either), and a damn good one at that, utilizing even sharper contrasts in the pace changeups. These alternate between driving stoner metal riffs, some downright doomy interludes, and a singable, cheeky punk chorus. Some awesome guitar solos just past the midway mark and a killer drum feature at the end seal the deal: Sweet Weed truly has everything the stoner rock fan could ask for and then some.
4.) Smokey
Smokey is a track that brilliantly showcases Jusolis' skillful use of pace changeups. The song opens with some great doomy groove intertwined with energetic and ripping stoner riffage. However, once the vocals kick in, it's clear that Smokey is one of the punkier tracks on the album. The song's direction dramatically changes once more just past the midway point, where a sauntering, low and buzzing groove creates a hypnotic atmosphere that persists for the remainder of this beautifully layered track.
5.) Air Vacuum
Speaking of hypnotic, Air Vacuum glides along on the most mesmeric, spacey stoner psych vibe that still manages to pack plenty of grittiness. Definitely the calmest track on the album, Air Vacuum is a chill but delightfully dense reprieve that allows the listener to drift away.
6.) Jusolis
Appropriately named after the band, ending track Jusolis could easily be a theme song of sorts, brilliantly highlighting the band's ability to play a wide range of heavy music styles. Jusolis begins with a backbone of driving stoner rock dotted with some crunchier metal riffage, reminiscent of early Kyuss. The song slows very progressively until it turns into a laid-back heavy psych groove at the halfway mark that will have you mentally relaxing on the beach, listening to the rhythmic crash of the waves. A standout bassline here keeps everything tethered. In the final third, Jusolis combines this tranquil respite with the coarse and weighty stoner utilized in its beginning, and dazzling guitar solos soar above the surface as the song plays out.
Final Thoughts
First of all, this authentic 90s tone is so refreshing to hear 30 years later. It really takes the listener directly back to the heyday of what I think of as an era of music that was as honest and optimistic as it was murky and dark. It was a time when bands like Helmet, Fu Manchu, Corrosion of Conformity, and Alice in Chains ruled our CD players as well as our hearts, and Jusolis delivers that distinctive vibe today as if no time had passed.
I was immediately impressed with Jusolis' ability to combine different styles of music in such a smooth way to create their signature sound. I hear plenty of punk, metal, stoner, and doom influence and, while these styles are in many ways different sides of the same coin, they have very different movement and cadence. That's where Jusolis' very clever use of pace changes comes into play, a skill the band uses to deftly move between styles to vividly set the mood of each song as it progresses. This results in a listening experience that is incredibly engaging, almost like getting more than one band on the same album.
Finally, I have to simply state that I am so happy that Jusolis was able to come together and record this album decades after its inception. With the hectic lives we live today, it's hard enough to make just about anything outside of your normal routine happen...I can't imagine what mountains had to be moved to get these guys back together after thirty years, from different corners of the world no less. And bear in mind, this was more than just a friendly reunion, it was a shared desire among all of the original band members to pick back up where they left off and play the same music they had as teenagers and very young adults. That's not only a cool story, but it's an inspiring one. For that reason, it's my greatest hope that this first properly recorded album from Jusolis will reach not only their loyal fans in Chile, but a plethora of new ears around the globe, hungry for the irreplicable and raw sound of the 90s heavy underground.
More About Jusolis
Jusolis Is:
León - Vocals and Guitar
Sam - Guitar and Backing Vocals
Rama - Bass and Backing Vocals
Seba - Drums
You can follow Jusolis and listen to their music at the following links:
A massive thank you to the band for the promo!
.jpg "Jusolis Self-Titled Album Cover Photo")
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