IN DIALOGUE WITH THE MOON

I was reminded of this release recently and stuck it on heavy rotation. I recall being highly impressed the first time around, and no less so now.

The guitars are good & crunchy, peppered with Anekdoten grunt and Crimson screech. Some great e-bow work adds flavor. Playful synth lines are secondary though effective, and the violin is understated but used well.

Chugging dirges lead to atmospheric noodling, and frenetic passages unfurl into jazzy breaks. The many changes of pace fit into an overall mood, shadowy and introspective not unlike the moon itself. Not quite so gloomy and serious as Anekdoten, though.

The focus is most definitely on the instruments, but you're treated to some husky, emotive vocals and occasional harmonies. There's a trace of Scandinavian accent, but not so bad. He can sure hold a note for a while, as in The Fine Line. There's also a spot of spoken word in Long Gone, the longest song at 8 minutes.

A sweet acoustic epilogue rounds out the album.

On first listen, Circles End don't appear overly complex or out-of-this-world, but damn if it doesn't grow on you!

I'm also a big fan of the album title :)