Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Circle II Circle
Label: Ear Music Records
Release: 2013
Length: 67:43
Rating: 3.5/5
Circle II Circle, led by the excellent vocalist Zak Stevens, former frontman of the dearly departed Savatage, keep on biting. Their latest effort came hot on the heels of its predecessor »Consequences of Power«! Just a little over two years apart. Zachary gave the band’s lineup a thorough shake-up for the new record. He kept only bassist Paul Michael “Mitch” Stewart by his side, swapped out both guitarists and the drummer, and brought in seasoned keyboardist Henning Wanner, also of White Lion and Jaded Heart.
What we got is an album once again stuffed to the brim with that unmistakable Circle II Circle bombast. The band has stayed loyal to it for a whole decade now. There’s a generous 68 minutes of new material. The overhaul clearly brought some much-needed freshness, and the chemistry in the studio sparked just the right creative connections and working temperature.
Circle II Circle keep rolling down the symphonic power metal track, salted with bombastic waves of all kinds of moods. The band’s two core engines are, of course, Zak Stevens’ singular vocal color and delivery, and the arranging approach to songwriting the guy picked up during his Savatage days. It can’t be any other way. Zak doesn’t dare take risks, and even when rebuilding the lineup he made sure the squad of new recruits had thoroughly studied Savatage’s metal blueprint, especially from the »Edge Of Thorns« album onward.
Quality is one thing, and it’s definitely here, in songs that deliver just the right dose of melodic catchiness and shifting moods. Originality is another, and once again there wasn’t much room for it. And yet you could say: »Get over it, that’s just how it is, Circle II Circle records don’t sound bad!« There’s also a fair impulse like this: »It’s been this way for over ten years. Savatage are gone, so Circle II Circle are the rightful heirs to everything Savatage stood for!« Sadly, that last bit is even more true of Jon Oliva’s Pain, which creates a whole new set of contradictions once the talk turns to Circle II Circle’s music.
Zak shines vocally with the undiminished glow of a true one-of-a-kind gem on the metal scene, and he’s gathered a crew of dedicated musical talents around him who follow his Savatage schooling to the letter. The excellent production of that massive wall of riffs is balanced at every turn by Zak Stevens’ instantly recognizable vocal performance. The instrumental motifs, enriched with guitar ornaments, follow the approach of the late Chris Oliva, and there’s the occasional retreat to piano sounds that stirs up that classic Savatage feeling even more (»Epiphany« sounds like »Gutter Ballet« in the intro). Circle II Circle remain strongest at a mid-tempo pace. That’s where the atmospheric bombast pays off most, especially when a piano arrangement joins the wall of riffs. »Dreams That Never Die« is a shamelessly open arranging imprint of your average Savatage crossbreed from the »Dead Winter Dead« and »Wake Of Magellan« era. No two ways about it. Definitely a painful experience for Savatage purists.
So this is an album tailor-made first and foremost for all the longtime fans of Circle II Circle and Jon Oliva’s Pain, whose hearts burn inconsolably for a potential reunion of classic Savatage. They won’t bother weighing up the similarities between Circle II Circle and Savatage. They’ll simply adopt this album with the fiercest motherly love. And on top of everything, “Seasons Will Fall” counts as the most “mature” Circle II Circle release, minus the curse of reminding everyone of Savatage. Zak and his crew truly wanted to squeeze out the best they had, and they pulled it off (on routine). Up to the limit of originality.
Reviews like this, where the second half of the sentence negates the first, are endlessly annoying. Clearly we have to make peace with the fact that Savatage will never be together again. Zak Stevens is really left with just two options. Either change his style completely or disband Circle II Circle. Neither one suits him. And if Savatage ever do reunite, Circle II Circle lose all their purpose anyway (that’s the painful experience U.D.O. have been going through the past few years, ever since the revived Accept launched into a new deadly metal march of excellent studio releases).
Simple. Take this album as if Savatage never existed and you’ll enjoy it endlessly. »End Of Emotion« is one of the most seductive compositions on the album, especially when it comes to that killer chorus melody, while »Never Gonna Stop« in a tweaked version would have no trouble getting heavy radio rotation. Songs that fit Zak Stevens’ voice like a glove. No missteps on that front. A very easy-listening, bombastic album that Circle II Circle are once again offering you in place of Savatage.
You can already buy the album »Seasons Will End« at:
Lineup
Zak Stevens – vocals
Bill Hudson – guitar
Christian Wentz – guitar
Henning Wanner – keyboards
Paul Michael “Mitch” Stewart – bass guitar
Adam Sagan – drums
Production
Zak Stevens
Tracklist
1. Diamond Blade
2. Without A Sound
3. Killing Death
4. Epiphany
5. End Of Emotion
6. Dreams That Never Die
7. Seasons Will Fall
8. Never Gonna Stop
9. Isolation
10. Sweet Despair
11. Downshot
12. Only Yesterday
