The last new Jet Jaguar music was heard on the 2008 split with Guild Navigators, so it’s been a while. Recent months have seen reissues of the earlier Free Space and Billion Year Spree albums, which may very well have been new finds for many listeners. But for those of us who have been following the band, the 14 new songs on the just released Mysteries Of Antimatter is cause for Space Rock celebration.

There are no long jams here. Jet Jaguar’s songs are typically in the 2-4 minute range, blasting full bore off the launching pad and running ramshod over the listener for the duration. The music is characterized by blistering Helios Creed inspired guitar that weaves a path of phased, corrosive destruction, hyper-kinetic drumming and meteor shower electronic effects. The keyboards range from eerie old time sci-soundtrack to classic Prog. Some songs feature quirkily metered Space-Punk, like some kind of Chrome meets Devo summit. Others are like a speed freak Space Rock ‘n’ Roll party at the Star Wars cantina. We’ve got Motorik Acid-Metal, Space-Industrial with a Louis and Bebe Barron backdrop, scorchingly steroidal Hard Rock, and lots of cosmic Goth influences. This is the kind of Space Rock that kicks the ever luvin’ shit out of you but is fun fun FUN! And no Jet Jaguar album would be complete without at least one cover, and here we’ve got a totally evil, steamroller freakout rendition of Helios Creed’s Superior Catholic Finger. The song titles and themes scream sci-fi: Planet Of The Vampires, Rocket Boy Meets Saturn Girl, The Ghost Of Buck Rogers, Workin’ In The Asteroid Mines, Destroy All Planets… you get the idea.

In summary, this could very well be the Space-Punk-Rock sci-fi event of the year. Highest recommendation!

The CD and download of Billion Year Spree and other Jet Jaguar albums are available from CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jetjaguar13
It should also be available at Amazon and Forced Exposure

Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz