Top Bar
Musique Machine Logo Home ButtonReviews ButtonArticles ButtonBand Specials ButtonAbout Us Button
SearchGo Down
Search for  
With search mode in section(s)
And sort the results by
show articles written by  
 Review archive:  # a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Circle - Arkades [Fourth Dimension Records - 2007]

This half reissue/ half new material double disk set from the mighty Circle shows two sides to this highly prolific band. Disk one original released in Vinyl format last year finds them creating two vocally layered long tracks, with as the cover suggest cowboy and Indian influence. Disk two  is a live disk showing them in a more cut down, less sprawling song format jump in and out of many musical genre's beds along the way.

I’ll have to admit to start with the first disk didn’t grab me much at all, the tracks seemed too long -twenty minutes a piece and they didn’t seem to go anywhere much, but over repeated plays I’ve really started to warm firstly the second track The Ghost of the highway and then the first The Greatest Kingdom. Both tracks really focus in on the interplay, dramatics and atmosphere created by their changing vocals layers & chants. The Greatest Kingdom starts off with  chanted yet slightly demented American Indian like vocals, with an stretched  brooding American skies  come  slow war-dance vibe about the musical backing of drums, guitars and synth. Over time it seems to become more and more looped progy & lighter with the synths twisting out new patterns vibrate colours and the vocals become soaring and strangle operatic, all ending  off sounding quite heroic,sky soaring and triumphant in its vibe.
Ghost of the highway sounds like a bizarre rhythmic locked  meeting between Gilbert and Sullivan, 80’s fist pumping metal, prog synth throbs and American Indian rain dance. Again the vocals are the  primary focused here as they go from light operatic, overblown metal, to mixed almost black metal grunts and mumbles.

The second disk I warmed to straight away, because basically it’s everything I love and cherish about the band with the three tracks sea-sew between slamming 70’s rock riffs, funky bass lines, bopping and trace inducing synth power, weird primal interludes, bizarre often overblown vocal chants/sounds and all manner of genre milking. As well  as fitting in with the first disks concept of cowboys, Indians and dusty western plains with some very nice twangy and panoramic guitar work.

An album more for the already Circle connoisseur (certainly on the first disk) who's willing to give the tracks time to click. Not one of my favourite Circle album, though it’s pretty darn fine and shows them running circles around so many other bands that try to sound distinctive & original.

Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5Rating: 3 out of 5

Roger Batty
Latest Reviews

Circle - Arkades
This half reissue/ half new material double disk set from the mighty Circle shows two sides to this highly prolific band. Disk one original released in Vinyl...
230424   Seedpeople - SeedPeople(Blu Ray)
220424   Shiver - Shiver Meets Matthew...
220424   Elegant Beast - Elegant Beast...
190424   Zachary James Watkins - Affir...
180424   Ulvtharm - 7 Uthras
180424   The Bad Shepherd - The Bad Sh...
180424   Impulse - Impulse( Blu Ray)
170424   Jan Jelinek - Social Engine...
170424   Carlos “Zíngaro”, Guilherme R...
160424   The Borderlands - The Borderl...
Latest Articles

The Music of Clay Ruby & Burial H...
Over the last couple of decades Wisconsin native, Clay Ruby has been creating some of the world’s finest dark electronic music under the Burial Hex mon...
280324   The Music of Clay Ruby & Buri...
290224   Sutcliffe No More - Normal Ev...
100124   Occlusion - The Operation Is...
181223   Best Of 2023 - Music, Sound &...
051223   Powerhouse Films - Of Magic, ...
181023   IO - Of Sound, Of Art, Of Exp...
210923   Lucky Cerruti - Of Not so Fri...
290823   The Residents - The Trouble W...
110723   Yotzeret Sheydim Interview - ...
250523   TenHornedBeast - Into The Dee...
Go Up
(c) Musique Machine 2001 -2023. Twenty two years of true independence!! Mail Us at questions=at=musiquemachine=dot=comBottom