(AFM)
Total Time: 45:03
It’s been 8 years since Zak Stevens decided to leave Savatage and form his own band under the moniker of CIRCLE II CIRCLE. After the first album (“Watching In Silence”, 2003) his band left him - or he let them go - and was recruited by his mentor, Jon Oliva. Zak continued with other members and went on for another two records in which he was moving in various paths of the metal highway.
“Delusions Of Grandeur” has to be the best album of CIRCLE II CIRCLE and there are several reasons for that. It keeps the diversity of previous releases, but with a straightforward production of the most classic heavy metal albums. The first song is a catchy American power track that holds you by the balls and then the lyricism starts to flow. The guitars have done a great job with their double epic melodies and fast neoclassical solos, while the rhythm section is holding the songs together giving the pace of a really fast album at times. The compositions are rather simple and many melodies are reminiscent of Savatage, but that is just normal, isn’t it? Listen to “Echoes” - by far the best song - and decide in which Savatage album it fits better - if your hair stays put in its chorus then you have never been hurt by the edge of thorns… Half of the songs are mostly classic heavy metal based on riffs while the other half are slower, like power ballads based mostly on the incredibly emotional voice of Zak Stevens that stands in front of everything. The last song (“Every Last Thing”) has a piano intro that is very much alike with that of Hammerfal’s “Glory To The Brave” and of Stratovarius’s “Going Home” (those two are almost identical and released the same year, go figure!) before it transforms itself in a big anthem with one more magnificent vocal performance.
It is a fortunate coincidence that CIRCLE II CIRCLE’s new great album went out almost the same time as Jon Oliva’s Pain’s. Comparing them is a trap I won't fall in because they move in different ways even though both of them drag Savatage’s shadow before them. These are happy days for the Sava-fans and if you also add the excellent album of Andre Matos we have three huge personalities of heavy-power creating with their own bands. Just enjoy!
