With
Circle II Circle and Jon Oliva's Pain...who needs
Savatage anymore? Many Sava fans will likely be echoing this sentiment after getting a double dose of Sava-inspired goodness in the form of JOP's "Maniacal Renderings" and
Circle II Circle's third effort,
"Burden of Truth". While JOP's newie evokes the haunted tortured spirit of "Gutter Ballet" and "Sirens", "Burden" conjures up a nice slab of "Wake of Magellan". Zak Stevens sounds absolutely fantastic here too. The past two Circle discs were missing something, but whatever that something was, has been found and forged into this disc tenfold. The entire production sounds classier and rips and roars with songs that have menace and metal drive.
"Burden of Truth" blows "Middle of Nowhere" right out of the water and leaves it far behind, as a distant memory.
This is a concept album that grips you with its heart throbbing intensity. Based off of the frenzy of "The
Da Vinci Code" and other books that raise questions that challenge the basis of spirituality that the human race has been chasing for millennia. The concept is intriguing and a neverending well of inspiration for edge-of-your-seat material. A keen ear will enjoy picking apart the music in search of the puzzle pieces to pop together to form the complete picture. This atmospheric framework is securely forged with a powerful heavy metal style that recalls
Savatage and edgier prog metal bands such as the often forgotten Conception.
Wild thunderous wicked paced drums that beat the breath out of your lungs with their flurries. Guitar is pristine and gorgeous, crystalline drops falling on the tornadic pound of the drums.
"Sentenced" is a mesmerizing example of a metal band pushing boundaries and tinkering with fresh ideas all the while sticking to a basic formula that works. Progressively edgy in a Conception-like fashion but with the harsh cruel sweeping grace of
Savatage. Absolutely adore everything this track represents as well as the polished execution.
"The Black" is a powerhouse track with the crunchiness of the metal hooves of the apocalypse horse breaking bones under its hopeless weight. Ghosts of
Savatage lingering in the softer, acoustic echoing moments and the epic-like transition into the whirlwind of metal where the music wrestles you to the floor. The guitar splinters leaving bloody shards. A catchy chorus flourishes in a satisfying sea of melody. Deliriously dark, crisp as autumn's leave and fresh like a well groomed cemetery ground.
The title track is the longest winding trip on the album, but not a moment is wasted. With no time to spare, they crank out blistering riff after riff with Zak's commanding pipes leading the way like a spotlight illuminating the pitch purply black of night. Harmony vocals come blasting through with a slight touch of the theatrical, leaning in the sludgy mystique of
Savatage's "Dead Winter Dead". Quite axe dominated, the disc has no lack of solos, and all are executed nicely by the six string duo of Andrew Lee and Evan Christopher. From soul shattering on
"Who Am I To Be?" to tastefully restrained on the overflowing melodies of
"Your Reality", their guitarwork is just as much of an audience draw as the voice of Stevens.
This third time around is the disc of redemption for a band of fallen angels. The debut delighted, the followup disappointed, but
"Burden" comes thundering through like a hurricane. This monster of an album is the harsh, splattering rain to wash away the dirt dealt from numero deus.
Savatage fans will rejoice in the masterful mix of prog and metal. The fully fleshed out, twisting concept just adds to the dark mystique. Also of note is the arrangement of the album itself. It flows quite nicely and never gets overly bogged down in the pit of self importance. There is nary a boring moment, and even more standard issue tracks like
"Revelations" have their moments.
As a bonus, there is a secret hidden within the album. According to the promo information, the artwork and lyrical framework point toward the answer of the album's riddle. A contest begins on Black Friday, October 13th 2006, with clues offered on the band's forum and prizes awaiting the winner who can untangle the truth behind the burden. Gimmicky? Perhaps...but still a very cool treasure hunt for faithful listeners. Listen closely, maybe the answer to the secret lies somewhere within.
And no I haven't figured it out yet either...
Written by
Alanna Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Show all reviews by AlannaRatingsAlanna: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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