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MOONLIGHT CIRCUS

Progressive Metal • Italy


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Moonlight Circus biography
Judging by their credentials, the members of MOONLIGHT CIRCUS weren't born yesterday, each of the five members having brought along a decade of personal musical experience. The band comprises guitarist Paolo Viani and drummer Alberto Masiero, both of BLACK JESTER (note that one of BLACK JESTER's albums is called "Welcome to the Moonlight Circus"); ex-HELREID keyboardist Daniele Soravia; ex-EPICA vocalist Alessandro Secchi; and bassist Gianluca Tassi. They have released only one album since their formation but a second is forthcoming, according to their website; morover, they have recently welcomed two new members in vocalist Max Zanatta and drummer Salvatore Bonaccorso, so things are looking up.

Their album "Outskirts of Reailty" is an interesting first release that focuses more on the 'prog' than the 'metal' aspect of prog metal. Almost starting off as a rhapsody, the music gets harder and harder as the album progresses, showcasing the many musical facets of the band, with passages that will often remind the listener of DREAM THEATER for the musical technique, but also of COLLAGE for the melodic structures. The CD features some particularly mean guitar work as well as some aggressive keyboard play. A very promising debut album indeed.

Recommended to fans of EMPTY TREMOR, EVIL WINGS, perhaps also AYREON, and to melodic prog-metal fans in general.

: : : Lise (HIBOU), CANADA : : :

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MOONLIGHT CIRCUS discography


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MOONLIGHT CIRCUS top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.79 | 5 ratings
Outskirts of Reality
2000
3.00 | 1 ratings
Madness in Mask
2013

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MOONLIGHT CIRCUS Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Madness in Mask by MOONLIGHT CIRCUS album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.00 | 1 ratings

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Madness in Mask
Moonlight Circus Progressive Metal

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

— First review of this album —
3 stars Moonlight Circus is one of the ignored prog metal bands from Italy in last 15 years. They released so far two albums, one in 2000 and the second after long period of silence in 2013 named Madness in mask. From previous line up 3 members remaining and two new ones are get in order to make a full prog metal sound. Even the first release was nothing of a masterpiece or close, I really like it and considered a good prog metal album even the low ratings album get all over made the band considering to go on or not in this bussines. After more then 10 years from debut the band is here again with a good prog metal release with neoclassical adventures thrown in. The music is if you combine Savatage with Rough Silk and even Black Jester. The arrangements are more then ok, but are not impressive, some riffs and solos a la Malmsteen with rhythmic sections close to Labyrynth makes from Madness in mask a pleasent listen for those who like prog metal in general. The album is energic with powerful playing and good vocal passages provided by Emanuele Cendron. Winter Masquerade or abriel are worth investigated pieces that showing Mooonlight Circus is still in bussines. The duality between keyboards and guitar are good towards great, but nothing is impressive . Anyway a good album, but I prefer thair first one better, it was more intresting and close to my taste in prog metal. Madness in mask probably and for sure will not get much aplauses and will remain unkown and buried under the tons of prog metal releases in last years. 3 stars

 Outskirts of Reality by MOONLIGHT CIRCUS album cover Studio Album, 2000
2.79 | 5 ratings

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Outskirts of Reality
Moonlight Circus Progressive Metal

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

3 stars This band from Italy and did a great job here, a pleasent album with good pieces. In the band are two ex members of Black Jester guitarist Paolo Viani and drummer Alberto Masiero, and another thing to mention one of the albums of Black Jester is named Welcome to the moonlight circus so the named of the band is taker from this album. Very little to add here, just the weakest point on Outskirts of reality is the voice, not realy bad but sometimes is annoying. Anyway a good album with some great pieces like Whirls Of The Past and the title track, the rst are also good but not intristing. So a 3 star album for me, good but not essential, but if you like bands like Ulysses, Azazello, Zen, Vanden Plas and the mother of this band Black Jester you will find intristing elements here.

 Outskirts of Reality by MOONLIGHT CIRCUS album cover Studio Album, 2000
2.79 | 5 ratings

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Outskirts of Reality
Moonlight Circus Progressive Metal

Review by andrea
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Moonlight Circus are a band from Treviso (Italy) born from the ashes of other bands (Black Jester, Helreidh). As they wrote on their website, this album "can be described as a combination of songs of different tastes and genres, inside the landscape of progressive metal". The main influences are Dream Theater, Queensryche, Helloween, but here, in my opinion, the band was "too much influenced" and the results are not outstanding.

After the short instrumental intro "Nightfall" comes the weak "Silver Surfer", just a power metal track with awful vocals (on the verse "Forever fly, lonely herald, fly lonely lonely lonely lonely herald fly" the singer, in my opinion, seems an annoying imitation of Robert Plant!). "I am twisting in the night / With all my fears and doubts inside / Here's the anguish coming once again. Inside this room my soul burns / Inside this room the fear / Inside this room the past returns." : the "claustrophobic" and dilated "Two Shadows" is a little bit better, with a good interaction between guitar and keyboards. "Whirls of the Past", "Ballad for a Falling Star" and "July Days" are not bad but absolutely nothing special. The last track, the long and complex "Outskirts of Reality", for me is the best track on this album, with many changes of rhythm and a nice guitar work.

In the whole "Outskirts of Reality is a good album, though not an essential one. The most evident flaws here are in the vocal parts. Probably for Moonlight Circus it would be better try to sing in Italian and put the translation of the lyrics in the booklet than to insist in singing in English with a bad accent and in an almost unnatural way.

 Outskirts of Reality by MOONLIGHT CIRCUS album cover Studio Album, 2000
2.79 | 5 ratings

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Outskirts of Reality
Moonlight Circus Progressive Metal

Review by White Feather

2 stars Born from the ashes of Talent bands such as Black Jester , Moonlight circus release their first CD, and though I have only played this a few times I can already tell that their choice in a vocalist wasn`t a good one. Black jester (Moonlights former name) was a well rounded band they had great progressive music (all be it heavy) , great lyrics but they come under criticism for their weak vocals and this mutation from Black Jester into Moonlight circus has done nothing to improve the situation , in fact I think this time the vocals sung by Alessandro Secchi are even less suited and far weaker, in fact I can hardly understand a word he is singing and his range is pathetic, makes you wonder why a band with Dream Theater chops would choose him in the first place ? The songs on Outskirts of reality has decent lyrics though the songs are not all that well constructed. If I was going to give advice to anybody thinking about purchasing this CD , get Black Jesters "The Divine Comedy" instead. Moonlight circus is more heavyer than Black Jester and though they still have progressive tendancies they don`t deliver a satisfying result not to my tastes anyway! Outskirts is a waisted effort and fails to impress 4/10
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition.

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