TYRANT

One of the later releases of circle that has drawn my attention is Tyrant and its neat little cardboard casing to be placed in the "Latitudes" collection. The artwork is provoking curiosity as you'd want to know what these Afghani burqas are all about on this disc, but there is little info as to whether this is linked of not. Also their consistent use of NWOFHM is a bit anal I find, especially that there is little metal outside some gory vocals often provoking a mocking smile than the awe-striken faces they'd search for.

Three "epics" around the 15-iminutes mark, with that usual Circle sound, somewhere between Krautrock, Hawkwind and Post Rock, and mostly hovering on the Calvert/ Turner nest, although the Opeth/Dying Bride-like vocals is certainly not doing it any favour, but it's all down to each and everyone's landmarks in their own musical landscapes. Besides its puerile title, Steel Tormented Warrior (sounds like Stacia pounding the shit of Molly Hatchet), the track is an interesting bruitist collage of interminable intro that actually lasts the length of the track, but it's actually the most interesting of this lot, sometimes ogling towards the chaos of Ghost, the Japanese band that makes me most think of Circle. The whispered vocals still have that deathly guttural feel, bur it's not laughable this time around.. The charmingly title Amputation Crusade is a again very laughable (but not any less than the picture where all four display their freshly acquired clouted/spiked wristband in front of Stonehenge) is again more of this ambient post rock, then later, there is a slom-pace crescendo that can remind of Anekdoten, eventually finding its place in the middle of the other two tracks' soundscapes.

If after some 15 years of existence, Circle is still playing at getting dressed as Vikings or warriors of doom, you'd guess that they'd have a fantastic fellowship and if not numerous, probably loyal enough to keep the band floating and buying spike bracelets. Whatever flows their buckets, musically, this album is definitely worth throwing an ear on it, but once you'll have spun it three times, it'll collect dust for decades.