Circle have been kicking around the Finnish avant garde music scene for 20 years now. Their output has been prodigious, with 25 studio and 13 live records under their collective belts. The band has withstood several line-up changes, Jussi Lehtisalo being the one constant member, and produced a myriad of side projects (Ektroverde, Pharoah Overlord, Steel Mammoth). Circle have consistently bridged a chasm between prog-rock, improvisational jazz, krautrock, and heavy metal with an emphasis on repetitive melodies that are often hyper-propulsive and incredibly hypnotic. Most songs are instrumentals, but the band has been slowly adding more vocals, with mixed results. In 2011 Ektro Records reissued Circle's Taantumus on the 10th anniversary of its original release, re-introducing a linchpin that deftly melds all of their musical styles. I believe that Circle's 1999 release Andexelt is the finest, and most stylistically consistent record they've released, but Taantumus is a good place for listeners to get acquainted with one of Scandinavia's most enduringly progressive rock acts.
Buy this record as the Northern Lights flitter above ritualistic fire dancers.
www.circlefinland.com
No comments:
Post a Comment