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Album Reviews : Circles – Infinitas

By on December 3, 2013

Taking leaf from the books of established bands such as Periphery, The Human Abstract and Tesseract, Melbourne based band Circles have demonstrated that Australia is well and truly able to keep up with the rest of the world in the progressive/forward thinking metal stakes, their ambitious debut album ‘Infinitas’ is certainly a testament to this.

It is easy to compare Circles to the many ‘djent’ inspired bands, although truth be told, Circles have much more to offer than the many carbon copy djent bands found within the scene. Melody and the ability to craft catchy hooks to complement their complex riffs and time signatures, is what help’s to set the band apart from many of their contemporary peers.

The first track ‘Erased’ instantly draws you in, seamlessly transitioning itself between huge melodic hooks, harmonized vocals and heavy, calculated riffs. The intro to this track deserves a special mention also, as it is probably one of the best intros to a track in recent memory and segways brilliantly in to the rest of the song. ‘On my Way’ is another standout track and has a certain Periphery like vibe, with vocalist Perry Kakridas even channelling a vocal style similar to that of the Dillinger Escape Plan’s Greg Puciato in the chorus. The one-two punch of ‘As it is Above’ and ‘So it is Below’ showcases the bands heavy side, all still without sacrificing the bands love and penchant of melody.

A huge part of the bands appeal is down to the vocalist, Perry Kakridas. The impressive melodic vocal range of Kakridas is utilised to the upmost fullest throughout the release. The ability for Kakridas to hit some of the high notes he does on the album, is at times simply jaw dropping. Speaking of talented vocalists, yet another talented Australian front man, Twelve Foot Ninja vocalist Kin, also makes a special guest appearance in the diverse, middle-eastern inspired, yet all to brief track ‘The Signal’.

Not to be completely overshadowed, the ever impressive instrumentation on the album also deserves special mention, as it lays the perfect foundation including beautiful well structured melodies and complex yet heavy riffs. The band also demonstrates a clear penchant for electronic elements within their sound, which is used sparingly to great effect.

Packed with everything a progressive loving metal head would want; sporatic tempo changes, layered time signatures, soaring vocals and killer riffs. Infiitas is a great listen and is with exception to a small lull around the middle section (where a couple of tracks begin to sound a little bit too similar) a hard album to fault. The band is sure to garner many new fans and increased exposure through this album and without a doubt this is thoroughly deserved.

Band: Circles
Album: Infinitas
Year: 2013
Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Basick Records
Origin: Melboune

Tracklisting:
1. Erased
2. On My Way
3. As it is Above
4. So it is Below
5. Another Me
6. Ground Shift
7. Responses
8. Visions
9. Radiant
10. Wheels in Motion
11. The Signal
12. Verum Infiniti

About

In his spare time, between being a slave to the grind, contributing to MetalObsession.net and hitting up as many local/international gigs as possible. Gareth also contributes to Dutch based metal-zine MetalRage.com, books the odd show under the Inherit Earth moniker and plays drums for Sydney-based bands Whisky Smile and Swamp Harlot.