Interview with Dustin (Jupiter Cyclops)
Jupiter Cyclops was formed in 2019 when scene veteran and singer Aaron Peltz (downthesun, On a Pale Horse) relocated from Southern California to the Phoenix desert. What started out as a two-piece doom project quickly metamorphosized into a 4-piece high octane hard rock assault courtesy of guitarist Dustin Lyon’s (Opiate for the Masses) face melting riffs and solos and Jake Melius (Big Wheel Stunt Show) bringing the low-end humping thunder. The lineup was complete with the addition of …. on the drums. Jupiter Cyclops has been tearing up stages in the Southwest and is ready to bring their brand of rock n’ roll to the masses.
Xi-Xao - Why did you form? How did the idea come to be?
Dustin - I met Aaron when we were jamming in an Iron Maiden cover band together. I was looking for some people to jam with and saw and ad for the band, so I responded and jammed with the guys. Aaron was the singer. The Maiden cover band fell apart, but Aaron had another band going, called Jupiter Cyclops. He invited me to jam with them and we took it from there.
Xi-Xao - How would you describe your sound in five words?
Dustin - Good old Rock N Roll!
Xi-Xao - Your upcoming album, how do think it will be received by fans?
Dustin - I think it will be well received by fans. We have tapped into a sound that you don’t hear much these days and I believe people are looking for that sound. I know I’m looking for that sound, that’s why I’m creating it.
Xi-Xao - What kind of listening experience is trying to give fans with this album, its singles?
Dustin - We are trying to give them a fun and energetic listening experience. Something to get them stoked! When I hear music, I want the music to make me get up and run around and create an energy inside me that wasn’t there before.
Xi-Xao - How is the writing process for the band?
Dustin - The writing process is a bit all over. Sometimes Aaron or I will write a whole song a bring it to the other guys and have them learn it. Or sometimes we will just write a riff and send it to the other guys and say, see what you can do with this, where can we take it. And sometimes, we goof around in practice and things just happen. 
Xi-Xao - Are any of the band members known on the local scene from any other bands?
Dustin - Back in the day, I was in a band called Opiate for the Masses. We were out of Phoenix, AZ. We had a pretty good reputation going for a while.
Xi-Xao - How did you decide on the tracks for this album? How much more music can fans expect?
Dustin - We decided on the tracks by playing all of our favorite songs at practice and live. Which ones made the set list and which ones didn’t. The ones that made the set list became the album. The fans can expect a lot more music. We pretty much have the second album written in terms of material. We are riff writing machines and at this point, the music is flowing. What can people expect live from your band compared to other bands? In this day and age, that we actually play live. There are no backing tracks or anything, just 4 dudes with their instruments. We get on stage and release our energy a voodoo into the audience.
Xi-Xao - Where do your lyrics come from? What inspires your writing?
Dustin - You’ll have to ask Aaron that.
Xi-Xao - Are the songs a collaborative effort?
Dustin - Yes and no. Like I said earlier, sometimes one of us will write a whole song, and sometimes we throw what we have into the pot and mix it all around.
Xi-Xao - Does the band have a main songwriter?
Dustin - I’d say that Aaron and I throw down the most.
Xi-Xao - How does the music affect the lyrics and vice versa?
Dustin - When I write music, I think about the flow. The lyric ideas come later. I want the melody and music to work well together and complement each other.
Xi-Xao - How would you describe the evolution of the band’s sound?
Dustin - When Aaron started the band, it was a doom band. Very slow and sludgy type stuff. When I joined the band, I turned it up a notch. I almost have trouble playing slow. So I inadvertently pepped a lot of stuff up. Then when I brought my music to the table, it was faster and more aggressive. The bands sound is still evolving. For the second album we have some slower stuff and even some acoustic songs. We want the band to naturally evolve and never get stale.
Xi-Xao - Name the Top 5 band influences of the band/ Top 5 Bands that your band sounds like that fans like.
Dustin - That’s always a tough question, so I’ll keep it simple.
Deep Purple, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy, and Led Zeppelin.
Xi-Xao - What metal genres influence you as a band the most?
Dustin - I am heavily influenced by Thrash metal. I just love the energy. Stoner metal/rock is also a big one. The sound of the 70s is something I really dig.
Xi-Xao - Describe the album as a whole
Dustin - The album is a journey through our minds. What we have created was born out of our experiences and influences. It has an overall Rock feel with a metal tinge, and little a little acid trip mixed into it all.
Xi-Xao - Describe each song track by track
Dustin -
Doomed: An in your face fast moving rocker fueled by conspiracy theories and paranoia.
UFOnaut: A riff driven onslaught about a rare encounter with an interdimensional race.
Between Worlds: A groovy rocker with an old school tinge driven by a battering guitar riff. What the hell is that song about?
Sinful Ways: A classic blues style jam about a man who simply can’t control his primal urges.
Down From the Inside: A classic tune about dismantling the system from within, all layered upon a sweet cake of riffs.
Chemical Voodoo: A trippy one with a sludgy swinging guitar about the classic woes of drug experimentation.
Lumerian Nights: A dark look into the world of other beings who could have had it all.
Way Down Below: A booming guitar riff followed by thundering drums and bass, capped off with lyrics about the consequences of bad decisions.
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