RAUTATIE

This is really my favourite album of Circle´s "metal"-albums. Some have called it their pop-album, but this really isn´t any Madonna or Prince -album. If you think Amon Duul II´s Vive La Trance is pop album, so is this also.

Album starts very slow and heavy in it´s title song (that means railway). Mika´s singing is also really heavy, but in the middle comes upgoing riff and also music starts to run like railway engine. In the end the slow main theme comes back. Lyrics are based on the Juhani Aho´s classic book of the same name. Next Lääke (=medicine) is the only piece sung by Janne. It´s also the lightest song in the album. Even there is not happening much, song carries well its four minutes lenght. Vaellus (=wandering) is one of the greatest Circle songs. It´s really dramatic in it´s fast tempo and Mika singing again very high. For the non-finnish speaking people I have to say like in many Mika´s songs, it´s very hard to find out what he´s singing. Next is Kohtalon Sormi (=the finger of destiny) and it continues very dramatic and deep atmosphere. The end is really sad with crying voice. Somebody might think it´s comic, but to me the whole end sounds very depressive. The next Tähet (=stars) gives a relief to the listener from the previous feelings. There are very strong guitar riff with very tight Mika´s singing. There are noisy sounds from the guitar & keyboards. Lyrics tell a story of a spaceship. This is typical "metal" piece of Circle that makes you smile. Pelkkä Meno (=mere going) is a very rhytmic piece. Mika is repeating some word that really isn´t Finnish. Lautatarha (=woodfarm) is the only true avant-garde piece in this album. Mika is singing again something incomprehensible. The mellotron sound keyboards make me think the seventies experimental pieces of King Crimson. Last Kaasukello (a gasclock) starts also very experimental way, it reminds me also ambient music of the Circle´s great "Miljard"-album. But in the end song changes very hard and heavy ending the album very great way.

Circle really showed with this album they can do catchy albums if they just want to. Even I like Circle´s experimental & spontaneity very much, I really love when they have seemed to make this album very carefully and with thought. I really hope they will make this kind of in a good way more produced album sometime in the future.