Circle Takes the Square "As the Roots Undo" CD
[Robotic Empire]
Hmmm... parts of this are excellent, and parts of it really rub me the wrong way. The songwriting is really intricate and there are a ton of riffs and styles going on, ranging from grinding hardcore/punk to melodic metal, clean breaks, discordant and chaotic runs, noisy electronic textures, layered male/female vocals with screaming, singing, spoken passages, etc. What I don't like are some of the more grating "screamo" sort of aspects. Thankfully they tend to stray from that angle, and the lyrics aren't in that vein at all, but it's still enough of a factor to bother me in some cases. I think a lot of it stems from the vocals, really. The noisier guitar textures and jarring riffs are tastefully handled and make sense, it's not messy, but a lot of the vocal layering and scathing, shrieking screams get old at times. The constant fluctuation of riffs and atmospheres helps spread things out, but I definitely like all of the female vocals way more than the male vocals. I like the songwriting for the most part - especially considering they're able to pull off songs as long as nine minutes. The drumming is really tight, and I wish the guitars were that closely knit, but they're almost there. A few of the more complex riffs have some rough spots in the performances, but this is a curious situation where things are really involved and thought out, but not necessarily intended to be ultra precise. "Interview at the Ruins" has an insanely awesome intro that builds in with thick percussion, dark clean guitars, and the sounds of chains dragging around. The rest of the track is also more moderately paced and melodic, with lots of tasteful background sounds as well as some piano, leading into the equally epic "Non-Objective Portrait of Karma", starting out softly with some volume swells and ambient tones, and a few minutes later exploding into a faster and much more frantic, energetic burst. There are definitely a vast array of dynamics at work here. The recording isn't bad. The clean and acoustic guitars (when present) sound really nice, fairly dry but still with a good tone. The bass sounds good even though it sometimes falls by the wayside, the distorted guitars are dirty enough to have a bite without sacrificing clarity or heaviness, and the drums sound very resonant and thick, which is always a plus. I might like to hear some of the vocals mixed closer to the music, but you get used to it. The CD comes in an insane full color digipack that folds shut with a tab/slot in the back and opens up to reveal a booklet secured to the first panel - including handwritten lyrics/notes and additional artwork. I've never seen anything quite like it before, and I bet it cost a fucking ton of dough! The lyrics are quite lengthy, and I enjoy the approach: "There's so much hope buried underneath tragedy. It's the same shade as concrete. The faithful say it's beautiful, it's god's will, let the flood swell on the loudspeaker sermons and a parish descending. There's so much hope buried underneath tragedy. It's the same shade as concrete. Let the flood swell." I will say that even though there are aspects of this release that I dislike, I can definitely understand why I've heard so much about this band based on hearing this material. The strengths far outweigh the weaknesses, and with a slightly cleaner performance and the general growth that bands go through over the years, I imagine these folks will unleash a truly powerful piece of work in the years to come. Keep your eyes peeled. (7/10)
Running time - 44:03, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Interview at the Ruins, Non-Objective Portrait of Karma, A Crater to Cough In]
Robotic Empire - http://www.roboticempire.com

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