CIRCLE FEATURING VERDE: TOWER

Circle are back and quite fast too since their last album was released about a month or two ago. As many of you may or may not know Circle's latest 2006 release, Miljard, also had the "NWONWOFHM" tag and yet there's not a single note of metal to be found, not even the energy or the guitar itself! The album was an abstract work made mostly by several amounts of pianos (don't know how much really) and some other instruments here and there. Everything we knew and loved about Circle was pretty much absent and the same can be said about this release.

In Tower we see Circle in a jazzier and freer side than before and in a more upbeat mood than in Miljard. While most of Circle's releases were very disciplined and focused this one, along with Miljard, are pretty much the opposite. While the drummer is pulling off some jazzy drum beats in the background, in the surface there's a wall of synths dancing and flowing freely in the air. There isn't that many adjectives to describe the sound the synths create, but the word ethereal comes pretty close to it. The sound comes pretty close to that of a vibraphone (more like 3 vibraphones playing at the same time non-stop). The album is divided in 2 parts, the first four songs flow seemingly into each other and after a few seconds of silence the second part of the album starts in which the drums take a more important role than in the first part. The closer, Gehtisalo, is my personal favorite of the album and a serves as a great closer as well, although the album doesn't seem to end it just slowly disappears into the air.

The "featuring Verde" part of this album is due to the collaboration of Mika Rintala who is a special guest on this album and quite possibly the reason why Circle took a jazzier approach in this release. Mika plays under the name of Verde and he's also a member of the jazzy/ experimental/ improv. collective Ektroverde, a band that's part of the Circle's big Finnish family.

As you can see this "New Wave Of" "The New Wave Of Finnish Heavy Metal" has NO metal whatsoever (post-rock, anyone?). If you're a fan of Circle then approach with caution since this is a totally different Circle than what we're used to know. This is the new softer, atmospheric and beautiful side of Circle's music. While Miljard was melancholic, fragmented and avant-garde in nature Tower is a more inviting album that's easily accessible, positive/ cheerful, jazzier, delicate and ethereal. Highly recommended.

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