Circus Diablo is the latest supergroup consisting of Cult guitarist Billy Duffy, guitarist
Ricky Warwick from the Almighty, Filter's Brett Scallions and Billy Morrison.
Circus Diablo plays contemporary rock not unlike Velvet Revolver. The modern rock label is a cliché, but in this case it's the perfect description of
Circus Diablo.
After playing lots of gigs under the Camp Freddy moniker in L.A., the band penned 11 original songs. The first single
Loaded sounds like a minor US hit along with
Shine, which is the big ballad of the album. Both songs are well structured and have great hooks.
Unfortunately the album looses pace and
Commercial Break destroys the flow of the record, since the record has trouble getting back in gear. A couple of indifferent songs like
Red Sun Rising and
Hello, Goodbye drag down the overall impression of
Circus Diablo.
Luckily the album ends on a high note with the acoustic driven
Dignified. The stripped down arrangement suits the band and understates that these are good songwriters
I have always been a fan of Billy Duffy´s playing and
Circus Diablo shows a new dimension to Billy Duffy. There is some tasty solo work, but you still wish that both his and
Ricky Warwick's guitars were more in-your-face and noticeable on the record. The album itself is polished and Circus Daiblo only shows teeth on
So Fine, which is the only really intense song.
Circus Diablo plays it safe and doesn't cover any new ground - but still it's a well played record and skilled musicians. The song writing is quite good and all the record need is a few aggressive rockers. Billy Morrison has a good mainstream voice. It could have been refreshing to hear Warwick's vocal take on one or two songs to keep it rawer.
"
Circus Diablo" is both an anticipated and good album.
Loaded, So Fine, Shine and
Dignified are great songs, but the overall impression is a minor disappointment when you think of the individual characters in this band.
Written by
Michael Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Show all reviews by MichaelRatingsMichael: 6/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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