Stone Circle
Stone Circle
•
March 22, 2015

VIVALDI, BEETHOVEN, MOZART, CHOPIN. All amazing talents that were masters of creating in-depth symphonic orchestral movements, and stringing them together into a story that to this day inspires and drives the imagination.
RUSH, QUEEN, MASTODON. All killer Rock and Metal master's that adopted this talent and then adapted it to fit the hearts and mind's of their respective generation's. Epic story-telling through musical movements and measures is a gift and it has withstood the test of time.
The question now: who is going to take the torch? Who will grab the Prog Metal reins and keep this age old skill into the generation that is just now coming into it's own?
After listening to STONE CIRCLE's new album which adopts the same name, I am confident that they are the answer. This album has every ingredient that has become the benchmarks for band's in Prog Metal to strive for. Each song is between seven and nine minutes and every second is absolutely dowsed in talent. Heavy, swinging guitar riffs melt away to bluesy solos, and these solos give way to emotional bridges before you even have the mental capacity to understand that it has happened. Drummer, Sam Hill's, absolute mastery in tempo changes blend the constantly evolving feeling of this album eloquently. Vocalist, Joe Ashwin, (who also handles lead guitar duties), tones fluctuate between eerily dark and beautifully clean. It's his voice that directs the story this album is trying to tell and he holds your attention every step of the way.
Each song, in it's own right, is a masterful and captivating piece of composition telling a short story. The album, in it's entirety, is the best selling novel. My one and only criticism comes with a huge and finite disclaimer. By no means does it kill the album or make me like it any less for that matter. The bridges on certain song's do have a tendency to get drawn out. Had the band removed a bar or four from one or two song's, this would be absolute perfection. But hey, who am I, a lowly critic, to tell the next ANTONIO VIVALDI of Metal, how to play their music? Get this album.
9 / 10
Almost Perfect

"Stone Circle" Track-listing:
1. Beekeeper
2. Easter Island
3. Sentinel
4. Chains
5. Mary Celeste
6. God Shaped Hole
7. Final Thought
Stone Circle Lineup:
Joe Ashwin - Lead Guitar/Vocals
James Pearce - Bass
Sam Hill - Drums
Tom Skelton - Rhythm Guitar
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