CIRCLE II CIRCLE – Seasons Will Fall (2013)

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Singer Zak Steven left Savatage some years ago to form CIRCLE II CIRCLE with the intention to create a more melodic band mixing modern hard rock with classic mid-tempo classic metal.

“Seasons Will Fall” is their 6th album where with a few line-up changes the band returns to the classic sounds leaving behind some alternative experimentation heard in the last two recordings.

If you never heard CIIC before, think Tony Martin’s Black Sabbath and Allen/Lande project. But the most striking thing to me (and a good one) with “Seasons Will Fall” are the several songs that strongly evoke the ghosts of Savatage in their instrumentation as well as structure.

I think we all agree that Zak Stevens has one of the most powerful and melodic vocals in the nowadays metal scene, and he demonstrates it here. Also prominent are the riffs and guitar leads by Bill Hudson and Christian Wentz throughout the album, all are nicely executed and positive additions to the musical texture.

The songs, as a whole, are mostly mid-paced and melodious, which is to be expected from this band, and they tend to straddle the fine line between Melodic Metal and Hard Rock, sometimes venturing into one or the other more completely.

“Diamond Blade” opens the CD with a guitar-based structure in a style that feels new for CIIC. Of course, Stevens’ trademark mid-range, leathery yet smooth vocals is the strong playing card here, but the lead guitar work is awesome as well.

The Hard Rock rhythm of “Without A Sound” and the nice keyboards come to change the scenery a little and I think prove that the band is running on recharged batteries and was inspired during the writing/recording process.

The album gets better with each track mixing melody and heaviness. “Epiphany” is definitely one of the album’s highlights with addictive vocal melodies, especially in the chorus, where the listener gets a chance to enjoy the hard hitting bass and hum along the keyboard melodies that sit on the driver’s seat quite often.

Another strong number is marching “End Of Emotion”. Savatage references mean lush instrumental orchestrations that stand side by side with the distorted riffs and this track is all about that. You might as well add some multiple vocal harmonies as the icing on the cake. This track showcases why Zak Stevens has loyal fans who have never been disappointed by the singer’s music contributions and this album is no exception.

“Never Gonna Stop” sports an irresistible, killer hard rock riff that seems to work like the epitome of Stevens’ career, while the groovy “Isolation” rocks with a classy vibe (including bells).

The smooth clean guitar work and the harmonies in the almost power ballad “Downshot” convinces you this band has taken the flag from the one of the best Sabbath’s incarnations ever: the Tony Martin era. Love this stuff, polished and powerful.

After some experimentation on the previous album, Circle II Circle has returned to their trademark Hard Rock / Melodic Metal style with a blast. Listening to “Season Will Fall” I got the same level of excitement with the one I had with the band’s debut released one decade ago.

This isn’t a step back for the band at all, it’s a return to their roots more stylized and solid than ever. The songwriting and orchestrations are now more complete, impactful and glowing.

“Season Will Fall” points to a wider spectre: not only Melodic Metal-heads, Melodic Hard Rock fans will enjoy this release with pleasure, believe me.

Very Recommended.

01 – Diamond Blade

02 – Without A Sound

03 – Killing Death

04 – Epiphany

05 – End Of Emotion

06 – Dreams That Never Die

07 – Seasons Will Fall

08 – Never Gonna Stop

09 – Isolation

10 – Sweet Despair

11 – Downshot

12 – Only Yesterday

Zak Stevens (Savatage) – Vocals

Mitch Stewart – Bass, Vocals

Bill Hudson (Power Quest) – Guitars, Vocals

Christian Wentz – Guitars, Vocals

Henning Wanner (White Lion, Jaded Heart) – Keyboards, Vocals

Adam Sagan (Into Eternity, Final Darkness) – Drums

Pre-Order here:

www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8879201