Shadow Circus returns with first album in 11 years

U.S. based dark prog act Shadow Circus has returned with a Halloween launch of their first album in 11 years, "From the Shadows", with a lineup featuring former members of Devin Townsend Project (Ryan Van Poederooyen, drums) and Pain of Salvation/Meshuggah (Gustaf Hielm, bass). The digital release of the album to Bandcamp and all major streaming platforms took place on Halloween, while preorders are being taken for the physical CD shipping around December 1st.

Two singles have been released as lyric videos, both drawing on horror topics around the holiday release. "Pay the Piper" portrays the dark, historical aspect of the well-known fairy tale, and "Vampires" is presented as a comic book brough to life, using the supernatural creatures as an allegorical representation of bullying and emotional abuse.

Shadow Circus has drawn inspiration from shock rock, metal, and progressive rock, with their unique explorations of horror and dark fantasy. Their 2009 album, "Whispers and Screams," garnered acclaim for the Stephen King-inspired epic "Project Blue" and the fan-favorite Twilight Zone homage, "Willoughby." 

Guitarist and composer John Fontana speaks about their newest endeavor, "From the Shadows," stating, "We called the new album 'From the Shadows' because we have always felt this would be a reemergence in many ways. We had a long break since the last album to consider how we wanted to go forward. We were happy with the creative direction, but knew we could do so much more. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, we already had the material written and found the opportunities to work with Ryan and Gustaf, who are just world-class players. Bringing them into the process gave us incentive to up our game." 

Fontana adds, "If our earlier albums were more of an homage to classic prog rock, 'From the Shadows' marks a new era. Not only is this way heavier than the first three albums, but it’s a more honest reflection of who we are. Dave and I spent the years since the last album honing our craft and immersing ourselves in exploring what we have to say musically, and practicing to the point that we can convey what we want to say without our limitations getting in the way. It’s not an homage anymore. This is us, being our honest selves, and because of that, I think it’s the best work we’ve ever done."

Watch the video for Vampires: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsxkif6Icw
Watch the video for Pay the Piper: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EBKrWdYgEk

Listen/download/purchase the album on Bandcamp: https://shadowcircus.bandcamp.com/