- Apr 5, 2003
- 2,668
- 2
- 38
Vicious Circle - The Art of Agony
Crash Music - 61176 - 2006
By Brandon Strader
Possibly one of the best album openers of all time brings you into the world of Vicious Circle, and no - I'm not just blowing smoke. It literally pounds you with fast death riffing and dischords for a few seconds, and bursts into a hefty scream... Extremely brutal, and the cool thing is, it hits you before you even know what's happening.
Well I can say one thing right off the bat, these guys put Nile to shame. Who cares about Egyptian themes? These guys totally decimate Nile fans with the quick intensity and thick, brutal vocals. Despite the fast and brutal nature of The Art of Agony, the music is very catchy and memorable! It's necessary for night driving as well, as playing something like this blasted through the open windows would surely keep all those moronic deers out of the road, and out of a hearing distance! Yes, my CD player has saved me from deer damage on several occasions...
I can't really find anything bad about Vicious Circle's new album, The Art of Agony. It's just a perfect death metal album. The riffs weren't taken from the "death metal shelf", and instead sound very fresh and unique, rather than sounding cliche. You may have guessed the percussion for such an album would be epic, eh? It's got the usual double bass with a somewhat clicky tone, but an unusually good use of the cymbals and hats.
Vicious Circle knew what they were doing, and have succeeded on making a fantastic album. The mixing is great, the sounds and effects used throughout add an extra touch of fun, and the constantly evolving musical structure is enough to keep one interested. Seriously. These guys prove that you don't always have to used minor scales and chords to make grim music, just listen to 'I Remain In Filth' where they use a C-major chord! Well it may not be grim, but you can't deny that it is not something done too often in death metal. There's probably something here that everyone will enjoy, so check it out.
8.8/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Official Vicious Circle Website
Official Crash Music Website
Crash Music - 61176 - 2006
By Brandon Strader
Possibly one of the best album openers of all time brings you into the world of Vicious Circle, and no - I'm not just blowing smoke. It literally pounds you with fast death riffing and dischords for a few seconds, and bursts into a hefty scream... Extremely brutal, and the cool thing is, it hits you before you even know what's happening.
Well I can say one thing right off the bat, these guys put Nile to shame. Who cares about Egyptian themes? These guys totally decimate Nile fans with the quick intensity and thick, brutal vocals. Despite the fast and brutal nature of The Art of Agony, the music is very catchy and memorable! It's necessary for night driving as well, as playing something like this blasted through the open windows would surely keep all those moronic deers out of the road, and out of a hearing distance! Yes, my CD player has saved me from deer damage on several occasions...
I can't really find anything bad about Vicious Circle's new album, The Art of Agony. It's just a perfect death metal album. The riffs weren't taken from the "death metal shelf", and instead sound very fresh and unique, rather than sounding cliche. You may have guessed the percussion for such an album would be epic, eh? It's got the usual double bass with a somewhat clicky tone, but an unusually good use of the cymbals and hats.
Vicious Circle knew what they were doing, and have succeeded on making a fantastic album. The mixing is great, the sounds and effects used throughout add an extra touch of fun, and the constantly evolving musical structure is enough to keep one interested. Seriously. These guys prove that you don't always have to used minor scales and chords to make grim music, just listen to 'I Remain In Filth' where they use a C-major chord! Well it may not be grim, but you can't deny that it is not something done too often in death metal. There's probably something here that everyone will enjoy, so check it out.
8.8/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Official Vicious Circle Website
Official Crash Music Website
