CIRCUS OF ROCK – Come One, Come All (2021)
CIRCUS OF ROCK is a new band, or rather a massive musical project, masterminded by drummer Mirka Rantanen (King Company). Their debut album, “Come One, Come All” will be released on August 6, 2021 via Frontiers.
“Come One, Come All” has a killer line-up of singers and musicians, including the amazing talents of Johnny Gioeli, Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn, Marc Quee, Rick Altzi and more on lead vocals, plus musicians from bands such as Stratovarius, Brother Firetribe, Masterplan, and others.
Mirka Rantanen has a long career in the Finnish hard rock scene. He has played on 30+ albums during his 30 year career, including releases by King Company, Kotipelto, Northern Kings, Revolution Renaissance, etc, and he’s a skilled songwriter as it shows on “Come One, Come All”.
The “Welcome To The Circus” spoken intro, followed by maniacal, clownish laughter tells you all you need to know. Circus Of Rock provides old fashioned, in your face rock’n’roll entertainment, spiked with loud guitars and metallised riffs.
And with bravura vocal performances from, among others, Danny (Tyketto) Vaughn, Pasi (Thunderstone) Rantanen and Rick (Masterplan) Altzi, there’s ample here to satisfy the appetites of even the most ravenous of hard rock and melodic metal fans.
Big hitters Johny (Hardline) Gioeli and Marco (Nightwish/Tarot) Hietela create a big, bold benchmark with ‘Desperate Cry’ and ‘Ghost Town’. Gioeli’s track evolves rapidly into a powerful, stomping, riff heavy sensory assault, topped off with a towering edifice of a chorus. His gravelly vocals just about anchor it to solid ground.
And as with everything Hietela touches, there’s a constant pulse to the material… a musical heartbeat that speeds and slows as the surging, symphonic metal arrangement rises and falls. His voice acts as conductor, allowing for a much more graphic musical style.
Having set the standard, everything thereafter provides full on sonic engagement. Yes, it falters a little on the album’s second half, some uneveness is inevitable with 14 different vocalists, but the first half is almost incomparable.
Picks are ‘Never’, an out and out heart on its sleeve rock song, tuned into the melodies, harmonies and simple sentiments of 80s AOR, sung by the master, Kimmo (Leverage) Blom.
Producer Rantanen then creates a suitably dramatic musical backdrop for Elize (Amaranthe) Ryde to create her own brand of vocal style. She promptly obliges with an epic “sounds-like-a-Bond-theme” ‘Times Of Despair’.
A very solid and entertaining album by Mirka Rantanen’s Circus Of Rock, the’s hope there’s Vol.2 in the making.
Highly Recommended
1. The Beat (Feat. Riku Turunen)
2. Desperate Cry (Feat. Johnny Gioeli)
3. Sheriff Of Ghost Town (Feat. Marco Hietala)
4. Never (Feat. Kimmo Blom)
5. In Times Of Despair (Feat. Elize Ryd)
6. Crossroads (Feat. Pasi Rantanen)
7. Caught In The Middle (Feat. Danny Vaughn)
8. Plywood Covered Windows And Crappy Shoes (Antti Railio)
9. Edge Of Love (Feat. Rick Altzi)
10. Set Me Free (Feat. Jarkko Ahola)
11. Everafter (Feat. Tommi “Tuple” Salmela)
12. No Reason (Feat Marc Quee)
13. Tears Of The Clown (Feat. Erik Kraemer)
14. Burning (Bonus Track)
– Jarkko Ahola
– Danny Vaughn (Tyketto)
– Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
– Kimmo Blom (Leverage)
– Johnny Gioeli (Hardline)
– Marco Hietala (ex-Nightwish)
– Erik Kraemer (Simulacrum)
– Mark Quee
– Antti Railio
– Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone)
– Elize Ryd (Amaranthe)
– Tommi “Tuple” Salmela
– Riku Turunen
Pre order:
www.amazon.com/Come-One-All-Circus-Rock
