CIRCUS PANDEMONIUM

It was a great Christmas gift to read the news of a new A.C.T release, back in December 2013. At that point, I wasn't sure what the status of the band was. I remember having a brief chat with Thomas Lejon, after his gig with Andromeda, in 2011, and asking him about that status of A.C.T but didn't get much more than that the band members were still in touch.

I bought Circus Pandemonium as soon as it was released for pre-order and even got the Japanese release, from some weird Japanese website where I could barely figure out how to place my order. Luckily both versions arrived without any issues and I was ready to dive deep into the fifth official studio release from A.C.T!

The 8 year release gap didn't affect the sound nor the production of the album, as this was still clearly the band I've known and loved. The album was an enjoyable ride from start to finish, or is it the other way at round? More on that later. There were quite a few standout tracks for me initially like Everything's Falling, A Truly Gifted Man and The Funniest Man Alive. Eventually, some of the tracks got a bit overplayed for me, while others grew even more, especially once I got to see A.C.T at their comeback gig on March 1st, 2014 in Gotherburg, Sweden. The band was even better live than I remembered them to be and all the members were firing on all cylinders. This was my all time favorite A.C.T performance to date and I got to see them four more times since then.

The album's concept is not that complicated on paper and I like the twist of having the story play out in reverse order, in style of Christoper Nolan's Memento. But let's be honest, it's the performances and the songwriting that are the focal point of this album. It's safe to say that A.C.T deliver in both categories and managed to craft another fantastic release. I do enjoy Circus Pandemonium a lot and have considered it to be a complete masterpiece on a few occasions, but having had 9 years with it, I will call it a near masterpiece that fits perfectly it the band's discography.

***** star songs: The End (5:56) Everything's Falling (4:55) Look At The Freak (1:13) A Mother's Love (2:37) Lady In White (4:40)

**** star songs: Intro (1:01) Manager's Wish (5:54) A Truly Gifted Man (6:44) Presentation (1:03) Argument (1:06) Confrontation (1:12) The Funniest Man Alive (3:46) Scared (4:43) A Failed Escape Attempt (5:18) Freak Of Nature (5:59)