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Circle was a
mostly instrumental Finnish post-metal combo, fronted by
bassist, vocalist and keyboardist Jussi Lehtisalo (the only band member to
remain throughout all the line-up changes),
adopted a stance that wed progressive-rock,
metal riffs, repetitive patterns a` la Steve Reich's minimalist music,
"motorik" rhythms a` la Neu, and (occasionally) even new-age trance.
Their early albums were mostly limited-edition experiments:
Meronia (Bad Vugum, 1994 - Ektro, 2007), whose lyrics were written
in the imaginary language of Meronian and whose aesthetic (if not sound)
evoked
Magma and Voivod,
Zopalki (Bad Vugum, 1996),
Hissi (Metamorphos, 1996),
Fraten (Metamorphos, 1997),
Pori (Metamorphos, 1998),
the live Surface (Metamorphos, 1998),
Prospekt (Resonant, 2000),
Taantumus (Bad Vugum, 2001).
Their art matured with
Andexelt (Metamorphos, 2000 - tUMULt, 2001), majestic progressive-rock that found a balance between drone-heavy music and riff-heavy music.
Sunrise (Ektro, 2001 - No Quarter, 2007), with Nopeuskuningas,
the live Raunio (Squealer, 2002), that includes the eponymous multi-part suite,
Alotus (Klangbad, 2002)
were further stages in the drift of Circle's sound towards a heavier sound.
A temporary zenith was reached with
Guillotine (Ektro, 2003), that leaned ever more strongly towards German progressive-rock of the 1970s with the ten-minute Metsan Henget and the twelve-minute Teraskylpy.
The albums that followed were mostly uneven:
Golem/Vesiliirto (Kevyt Nostalgia, 2004), half live and half studio recording,
the live Empire (Riot Season, 2004),
the live Mountain (Kevyt Nostalgia, 2004),
the folk-infected Forest (Ektro, 2004 - No Quarter, 2005),
Tulikoira (Ektro, 2005 - Headspin, 2008), with Tulilintu,
the live General (Kevyt Nostalgia, 2005),
the live Arkades (Fourth Dimension, 2006).
A return to form for Circle was the stately double-disc Miljard (Ektro, 2006), that indulged in quasi new-age atmosphere, with the 20-minute Parmalee, the 21-minute Duunila and the 22-minute Viitane.
Circle then posted another original take on progressive-rock with Tyrant (Latitudes, 2006), while
the all-instrumental Tower (Last Visible Dog, 2007), half non-metal at all (no heavy riffs, at least, and some fusion-like nuance) and featuring electronic musician Mika "Verde" Rintala, was largely uneventful.
The Circle of Panic (Ektro, 2007)
are one of the few bands in the world that try to bridge two wildly
different worlds such as punk-rock
(the 38-second Germs-style hardcore fit of Neverending Dinner, followed
by five more fits of the same kind)
and ambient/cosmic/minimalist trance
(opener Black Tape,
the 12-minute Tunnel,
the 14-minute And Far Away).
Rakkenus (Ektro, 2007)
and the double-disc Telescope (Ektro, 2008)
document live performances.
Katapult (No Quarter, 2007) contains Saturnus Reality and the horror instrumental Four Points Of The Compass.
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