[Music Review] Circulus - Clocks Are Like People

[karohemd]

snapesbabe recently pointed me at this band, praising them as "mediaeval prog rock" and the song samples she provided sounded promising so I ordered their new album.

In this album, the rock aspect is almost completely gone and it's a lot quieter and slower than before but still not bad, two thirds between Jethro Tull and Blackmore's Night.
So rather than RAWK, it's happy, easy on the ear ballads and, to be brutally honest, a bit bland.
The instrumentation mix of acoustic guitarish and woodwind instruments combined with Moog synth lines unfortunately doesn't quite work, either, as the synths aren't organic enough. A classic Hammond would have fit better, I think.
The only track the sound really works is the last, Reality's a Fantasy but it's atypical for the whole album as it has very little of the mediaeval ballad element.
The last comment might sound odd considering I love other mediaeval-electronic crossover music and I'm not quite sure why. I guess it's the harsher sounds that work better than the reedy trickles.

It's still not bad but not what I expected. It's not that it's quiet and slow as I love that kind of music, too but it's simply missing substance but the production values are good.

6/10 on the Ozzometer.
Sorry, SB.

Comments

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Bah, it's that difficult second album. Remind me to lend you the First at some point.

I think TBH I'm influenced by seeing them live, too. They are astounding live. And I'm reminded of Thunder, in that they always utterly rock live, and then when you get hold of an album it's a bit meh...

Sorry I made you spend unwarranted money...

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Were the three tracks you put up from the first? Those really rocked.

The production values on the album are better, though, so they definitely put some effort in.
Sometimes bands change their outlook on their music while they're still finding what they really want which can be frustrating for the listeners sometimes.

I can imagine them sounding good live. Music like that usually really works live.

Hey, no need to apologise. I often buy albums on a whim, without listening first and I'm not always lucky. The worst one was the last Def Leppard album. *shudders* (that would have received a 2/10, max).

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the three tracks I put up are from the first album.