Description
Step On It is the debut album by the Swedish metal band Jet Circus, independently released by the band in Europe in 1989. As well released in the US on Wonderland the following year, distributed by both Word and Epic. (Wonderland was a short-lived alternative imprint of Word run by Caesar Kalinowski, who also was the mastermind behind other record labels such as Graceland and Intense.) The album was produced by band members Ez Gomér and Terry Haw, both formerly of the Swedish metal band Leviticus. (After the recording of Setting Fire to the Earth, bassist Gomér and lead vocalist Haw left Leviticus to form Jet Circus in 1988, together with drummer Little George.)
Here’s the most creative release in Christian metal of 1990. Jet Circus borrows influences from rap, metal, blues, and bass-heavy “motorcycle rock” and forms a refreshing, new hybrid metal that should create a small revolution in Christian music. Anyone looking for a band “on the edge” need look no further than Jet Circus.
The nucleus of this trio, vocalist/guitarist Terry Haw and bassist/keyboardist Ez Gomer, both recorded and toured Europe with Leviticus on its stellar ‘Setting Fire To The Earth‘. The only thing remotely resembles Leviticus might be Haw’s strained screams in the song «Train». Otherwise, the wild and energetic style of Jet Circus is all its own – heavy and raw, yet funky enough to be danceable metal.
«Victory Dance» is a big and bad rap/metal song that is sure to immediately get Jet Circus the attention it deserves. I mean, anyone who comes up with a line like, “You know baby, we’re happy to be born again/ The vines of the Spirit are something to be swingin’ in,” gets my vote. The title track takes a creative swipe at the devil (which is hard to do in this genre): “Take his head and lift your heel/ Do what you’d love to do/ Step on it.”
«Break This Jail» portrays the truth of the Gospel in a scenerio of a criminal wishing for freedom who hears the judge tell him, “Look here son, you’re free to leave/ Your Savior has paid your fee.” While serious about holiness, the band also understands the freedom and grace of having fun, hence the covers of «Let’s Dance» by Jim Lee and «Be-Bop-A-Lu-La».
This is the album to answer all the questions of “Where’s something different in Christian music?” If this Swedish trio keeps the creative juices flowing, the could be real BIG in the near future. Fans of Stryper’s new music direction and the music of Faith No More will love this album. [Doug Van Pelt, CCM, January 1991]
PROMO, Girder Records, CD/LP re-issue 2025/2026
Jet Circus played by their own rules!
When Jet Circus burst onto the scene in 1990 with Step On It, they didn’t just introduce themselves – they announced themselves. Loudly. Boldly. Unapologetically. In a music world that loved its categories, Jet Circus simply didn’t fit into any of them. And that was their superpower.
Formed by former Leviticus members Terry Haw and Ez Gomér, Jet Circus became a laboratory of creativity where hard rock, groove, funk, glam, and metal collided with fearless experimentation and deep, faith-rooted conviction. In an era when Christian hard rock often followed familiar formulas, Jet Circus broke every rule in the book and wrote their own playbook on the way down.
Their chemistry was instant. Terry’s soaring voice and razor-sharp guitar work paired with Ez’s streetwise bass grooves and relentless drive created a sound bursting with attitude and imagination. Together, they shaped music that was aggressive yet accessible, heavy yet melodic, spiritually grounded yet artistically unrestrained.
Step On It remains the definitive Jet Circus experience – a wild, colorful ride full of swagger, groove, and unfiltered energy. Tracks like «Rockin’ Horse», «Run», «Train», and the title track hit with a ferocity unmistakably forged in the late ’80s metal scene, yet carry a modern rhythmic pulse that felt years ahead of its time. Even the bold opener «Victory Dance», with its rap-infused delivery, showed a band unafraid to take risks long before the genre would consider such moves. Their blistering take on «Be Bop A Lula» sealed the deal: Jet Circus was a band playing by their own rules.
Behind the wild colors and sonic twists, however, was a heartbeat of sincerity. Jet Circus approached faith not as a marketing angle but as the foundation of their identity. Their music carried themes of redemption, struggle, hope, and freedom – delivered with honesty, urgency, and conviction.
In the decades since its release, Step On It has earned cult-classic status, celebrated by Christian rock fans worldwide as one of the most innovative, daring, and downright fun records of its time. Jet Circus didn’t sound like Leviticus. They didn’t sound like their peers. They didn’t sound like anyone. They created a sound that is instantly identifiable, unmistakably theirs, and permanently etched into the legacy of Christian hard rock.
This reissue honors that legacy. Remastered. Re-presented. Re-celebrated.
A chance to revisit the boldness, the brilliance, and the boundary-breaking creativity of a band that refused to be confined. Jet Circus dared to be different – and because of that, Step On It remains as vibrant and electrifying today as it was the day it first hit the world.
Welcome (back) to the Circus
CD tracklist:
01. Victory Dance – 3:30
02. Rockin’ Horse – 3:43
03. Jet Blue – 3:18
04. Step On It – 5:15
05. Ghost Town – 4:09
06. Break This Jail – 5:40
07. Be Bop A Lula – 2:44
08. Train – 4:07
09. Run – 4:39
10. Dress In White – 4:14
Note: Originally independently released by the band on 12-inch vinyl LP in 1989, though never officially released as it was stopped by the band because the mastering was not good enough. According to a member of the band around 120 copies exist. The vinyl version contains the song “Let’s Dance” instead of “Be Bop A Lula”. Insert with lyrics and comic strip. Released on cassette and CD in the US by Wonderland featuring a reworked cover artwork. Re-issued on both CD (300 ex) and 12-inch vinyl LP by Girder Records in 2025 (CD)/2026 (LP), remastered by Rob Colwell and Ez Gomer from the original masters. CD edition features 3 bonus tracks: “Let’s Dance” (from the European release), “Paradise: Part One” (unreleased original from the original recording session), and “Victory Dance (Leather Remix)” (from the Motion Factory compilation).
CD cover artwork for the US version of Step On It released on Wonderland in 1990.
An advertisement for the Wonderland label – featuring The Waiting by Fighter, Heartbreak Town by The Stand and Step On It by Jet Circus – was published in the April 1991 issue of CCM Magazine.
“Victory Dance” (MUSIC VIDEO)
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.