bueno bob
03-25-2005, 08:13 PM
So I just bought the two Circle II Circle albums ("Watching in Silence" and "The Middle of Nowhere") and OH MY GOD, this is some of the best shit I've heard in YEARS! As a quickie...lead vocalist is Zak Stevens, former vocalist for Savatage (from "Edge of Thorns" up to "The Wake of Magellan"), and the band is centered around him.
As for pros? It's pseudo-Savatage sounding, but ENTIRELY heavier, and Zak's re-learned how to use his voice to the best effect (I'm tempted to believe Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill were restraining him in the studio, considering these two albums...outstanding performances). Pretty straight-forward power metal, but still with the Savatage-ish elements...say, what would have happened to Savatage had Criss Oliva not passed on and Criss decided to play a lot heavier. MUCH, MUCH better than anything Savatage has released since Criss died.
VERY good shit and well worth the effort to hear it! Hunt it down, buy it and thank me later.
As for pros? It's pseudo-Savatage sounding, but ENTIRELY heavier, and Zak's re-learned how to use his voice to the best effect (I'm tempted to believe Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill were restraining him in the studio, considering these two albums...outstanding performances). Pretty straight-forward power metal, but still with the Savatage-ish elements...say, what would have happened to Savatage had Criss Oliva not passed on and Criss decided to play a lot heavier. MUCH, MUCH better than anything Savatage has released since Criss died.
VERY good shit and well worth the effort to hear it! Hunt it down, buy it and thank me later.