CIRCLE THE SUFFERING Destroys the Fusion Room on Live EP

After hearing Circle The Suffering’s new live EP, Live at the Fusion Room, I now firmly believe that every single band should record a live EP. While many bands show excellence in the studio, where they are allowed to make a lot of mistakes until the final product sounds good, being able to show that kind of unison and tight performance as a band in a live recording is a whole different ballgame. Circle The Suffering does just this with their new EP, which is up for free download. It almost makes me wish that it had a price for download, because it would be worth every penny.

CTS comes out swinging with their epic MMM (Melodic Metal Masterpiece), “Apollo”. In four and a half minutes, this song feels like three different songs in one, and takes you on a journey like an epic tale told through brutally melodic metalcore. The transition between songs is seamless, and each song shifts styles in a manner that is cohesive and exciting. “One Deceitful Day” keeps up the momentum, and is followed by the single, “Above All”, and the EP concludes with the onslaught that is “Quicksand”. Throughout all four songs are shifts in musical style, which include, but are not limited to, melodic metalcore, super heavy breakdowns, insane guitar riffs and drum fills, and quick bursts of rap-influenced vocals. The constant changes add variety to the sound of the band, but does not make them wishy-washy in any way. From the second they take the stage, you know who these guys are and how heavy it’s going to get.

Since the last time I reviewed CTS, they have improved tremendously. They were never bad, but they had some room to grow and improve, and boy, did they ever. Their vocals have come a very long way, particularly in the screams. They were powerful and guttural, never faltering for a second. The clean vocals were also good, but not quite as much, getting drowned out once in a great while. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the music, as the whole band sounded tight and together the entire time. There was one instance where a guitar amp seemed to go out, but it was recovered quickly. The drums are in time, the riffs are shredding, and the rhythm is killer. Everything gels very well into one cohesive unit, which is no easy feat for a live recording.

Overall, Circle The Suffering’s new live EP is melodic metalcore at its finest. If this is how good they sound live, then their studio recordings are going to blow us away. They’ve certainly stepped their game up, and have proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with in local metal. I couldn’t think of a better way for them to present themselves to the world than with Live at the Fusion Room.

Go “like” Circle The Suffering and download their EP here: https://www.facebook.com/CircleTheSuffering

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