CIRCLE II CIRCLE „The Middle Of Nowhere”

Music: Heavy/Power Metal
Website: http://www.circle2circle.net
Duration: 59:19 (10 songs)
Cool Songs: In This Life, Holding On

Savatage is by far my favorite metal band and Circle II Circle is the band that Z. Stevens formed after he left Jon Oliva’s company. “The Middle Of Nowhere” is their second album after “Watching In Silence”. I really can’t see the reason to leave a successful band (at least in Europe) like Savatage in order to form one of your own if you don’t want to move to another music style. The debut of Circle II Circle was much alike the releases of Savatage with Stevens in the vocals and this hasn’t changed in this album.

With the very first notes you think you are listening to the outtakes of “Handful Of Rain” or “Edge Of Thorns”. I don’t like that but even if I skip these similarities I think that this album is more inferior to their debut one. In case you don’t know the style in which Circle II Circle are into I have to tell you that this is heavy/power metal with some symphonic parts. The production and the artwork are both of high standards but music is the key and things are really average in that part.

I would suggest you to buy this album only if you are a die hard fan of Savatage. Otherwise, you will find more interesting songs in their debut album or for sure in the albums of Savatage with Zak on the vocals.

note: 05/10

Tracklist

01. In This Life
02. All That Remains
03. Open Season
04. Holding On
05. Cynical Ride
06. Hollow
07. Psycho Motor
08. Faces In The Dark
09. The Middle Of Nowhere
10. Lost

Line-up

Vocals: Zak Stevens
Guitars: Evan Christopher
Guitars: Andrew Lee
Bass: Mitch Stewart
Drums: Tom Drennan
Keyboards: Oliver Palotai