For Zak Stevens, getting out of
Savatage's massive shadow and finding a new identity with his own band
Circle II Circle is quite a feat, but its nothing less than what we might have expected from the former 'Tage frontman, I mean, look whose shoes he was originally selected to fill (and quite a job he did).
Following his past of melodic power metal filled with powerful hooks, riffs, and strong songs that proved the basis for his baritone vocal range to follow, Stevens and Co.'s latest outing is a little more straightforward than the last, being more consistent in nature, with the dark driving axework still being at the forefront of
Circle II Circle's mantra.
Strangely enough
The Middle of Nowhere opens up with a dark ballad "
In This Life," which seems to come from where the title suggests, but it works, you don't really hear many records starting on this more subdued pace, however, the hook-ridden chorus of that cut sets the tone for the record. While it is fairly a driving record, tracks such as "
Holding On," with its title sung out in commanding fashion, "
All That Remains," and the emotional title track bring
Nowhere's dark atmosphere to the forefront. The more upbeat tracks include "
Psycho Motor," "
Hollow," and "
Cynical," all sort of putting a more driving force within the center of the record. But what began on the eased back pace must end on that same vibe, the serenade worthy "
Lost" ends the record with sweet sorrow atmosphere, being complete counterpoint to the records otherwise gritty vibe.
Besides the songs themselves, the dueling leads of both Andrew Lee and Evan Christopher compliment the melodies with discreetly improvised arpeggios, making
The Middle of Nowhere lean towards the stature of a guitarist's album. Again, Stevens proves himself worthy of fronting his own band, bringing the
Savatage influence with him and continuing that legacy (sound wise) on his own terms.
Written by
Hashman Friday, May 6, 2005
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