Aagh! My speakers! Bowels-of-the-earth vocals growl from beneath a throbbing overload of chugging guitars and momentarily I fear for my kit. Not that it’s substandard gear, but this I monstrously dense and... Woah! What’s this? Brian May guitars tripping out over the barren soundscapes? It’s highly incongruous, to say the least.
Welcome to the world of progressive death metallers ‘Stone Circle’. The progressive elements of their sound clash violently with the heads-down, full-throttle metal elements and they battle for supremacy in what is, at times, a most ugly match.
They’re actually very good at both prog and death metal, and the seven expansive tracks here (‘Mary Celeste’ is the shortest at a mere six and a half minutes) show considerable vision, matched by a superlative level of musical expertise.
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But while Stone Circle’s musicianship and ambition aren’t in the slightest question, the compatibility of the two genres perhaps is. There are some exquisite moments to be found here, both heavy and atmospheric, and it all comes together perfectly on the epic ‘God Shaped Hole’, but at times the extravagant soloing and highly detailed lead guitar work seem so incongruous with the pulverizing powerchords beneath that one is as likely to experience a sense of frustration and a serious headache more strongly than a sense of awe or any real connection with the album.
Stone Circle Online
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