Well, well...a new album by Finland's Circle, but one with the original outfit...nót the members from various Finish Metal acts which last year recorded and released the Incarnation album, a review for which was posted by yours truly.
In that same review, I explained that the original members of Circle had “licensed” their bandname to those other musicians for the year 2013, but only for the release of that album, as performances by Circle would still be done by the original troupe! In the meantime, that “original troupe” was exploring how to have fun with some more down-to-earth (yet still somewhat psychedelic) AOR under the monicker Falcon (ex-Circle)...even recorded an album (preceded by a single) which was equally reviewed by yours truly, and went out on the road to promote it. Following the year 2013, the original band might re-take their old monicker, but a possibility was uttered that they might do so under the name Circle (ex-Falcon). Confused anyone?
One of the projects the original Circle members occupied themselves with under the Circle monicker during 2013, was a series of performances done in collaboration with visual artist Mika Taanila. What it came down to, was that the band had composed 4 completely new songs to play at the exhibition, and Taanila would play (actually mix 'em “live”) several videos within the venue in which the exhibition took place, and with some of that material containing vocal parts [as in the album closing “Terminal”, which you can hear at (www.) ektrorecords.com and/or (www.) circlefinland.com] those became part of the overall music. Expect your usual Circle type of Progressive Rock with psychedelic touches, expect to be taken in by this new album (well, okay...it's not a studio album, as it was recorded live on Nov. 1 of last at Helsinki's Kiasma Museum Of Contemporary Art but still...these àre 4 new songs by the band, ain't they!?), and expect the band on tour, under the name Circle (ex-Falcon), in April (dates available at the band's website, but I'll already have you know that they appear at Brussels' Beursschouwburg on April 2nd!).
I love this band...and the fact that they sing in their own language (did I understand correctly that they're using a make-up type of language, and don't even sing in their “mother tongue”?) gives the band an exotic flavouring which certainly sets it apart from any bands in the Progressive/ Psychedelic Rock genre!