Photos and Review by Chandler Mays
At The Earl this past friday, Jungol unleashed a slew of new songs they’ve written over the past months, and I, along with a packed house, reveled in every single moment of their set. On my way to the show, I realized that I didn’t care what songs they played for me, old or new, and that single fact is proof of a truly talented band. Atlanta should be proud of spawning such a consummate musical force, and we most certainly should not take this band for granted, because Jungol will become nationally recognized, and we will eventually have to share them with the rest of the music community.
Jungol is an experimental synth-rock band that covers a wide range of musical styles while simultaneously preserving a uniformly accessible sound. At the heart of the band are brothers Josh and Graham Yoder, who play bass, guitar, synths, percussion. Their harmonizing vocals belong together like bread and butter. Andres Miller, a longtime friend of the Yoder brothers, fills out the Jungol sound perfectly on guitar and synths. A common thread within many of Jungol’s songs is the placement of ethereal vocal melodies on top of heavily distorted guitar strumming on top of spacey electronic sounds on top of aggressively kinetic beats. The sonic result is quite a wonder to behold, and the songs translate to a larger than life experience when performed live. The distorted wall of sound slaps you in the face while Josh and Graham’s vocals prevent you from falling over. At the same time, the pulse-pounding tribal drum beats make you want to boogie down. Rarely have I been this conflicted at a concert. Should I dance or zone out? I ended up achieving some kind of bobble-head zombie stutter-step, which I’m sure was mildly humorous to whoever stood behind me.
Finally, much props go out to whoever is responsible for Jungol’s light show, which always gives the audience a trance-inducing visual experience. Let’s hope a crew-member from Phish doesn’t notice the skills and offer him a job, because Jungol surely couldn’t match that payday. The concert left me elated, dizzy, and emphatically anticipating their next album. All we can do now is wait. If you haven’t seen Jungol yet, be sure not to miss them next time around. If you have seen Jungol, then I’ll be seeing you at the next show.
Full Gallery after the jump…
