Circle - "Rautatie"
(Ektro Records 2010, 065)
Circle - "Rautatie"
(Ektro Records 2010, 065)
From Aural Innovations #41 (October 2010)
Circle are back with their first new studio record in a year. While it is never possible to predict what direction the band will take, there's no vastly great departure here but something special for sure and some totally amazing tracks like Pelkkä meno and Lääke. The CD starts off with the title track which is some sort of strange mix of heavy metal, operatic vocals and a 70’s jazz rock interlude into a sort of speed metal like psych rock. Far out. Lääke is a bit spacey but has a very cool groove and more laid back vocals. Vaellus picks up the pace but is quite a melodic 80’s metal like track with some special vocals by Mika but then the track takes a totally different path with a very cool groove and some spacey synths as the band keeps up the hard driving rhythm. Kohtalon Sormi is more instrumental with a very repetitive guitar riff and piano to begin the track and then it becomes more epic and sad somehow and Mika is like crying. Bizzare. Tähet reminds me of stuff off Hollywood. Intense. Pelkkä meno has this totally killer groove. It was great live. Love this one. Lautastarha starts with the band doing some psychedelic searching and the sound is more mixed in your face (especially the deep bass). This one is pretty spaced out. It leads into the last and longest track, Kaasukello. It also starts mellow with piano and a sort of reverberating sound as the track builds up and becomes more operatic and dramatic. The end of the record is totally different from the beginning.
For more information you can visit the Circle web site at: http://www.circlefinland.com
Visit the Ektro Records web site at: http://www.ektrorecords.com
Reviewed by Scott Heller