Circle of Reason is a four-piece Alternative Prog/Grunge Rock band from Southampton, formed in 2011. Their first release was the EP 'A Favour for a Stranger', the following year. This attracted the attention of Kerrang! TV and the music press. They followed this up with the lighter 'Yesterday Already' EP, and 'These Hands and This Mind', in 2014. Their new album, Faith or Theory is released on Freefall Records just prior to a string of UK live dates...

Though my favourite band of all time is Pink Floyd, my music tastes do tend to lean firmly towards the heavier end of the spectrum. Hard Rock and particularly Metal is my main interest, so I’m drawn to anything which exudes boundless energy but is equally as melodic. Circle of Reason certainly comes under that category. The style has been compared with many other existing bands, but perhaps the closest musically is Mastodon. The vocals are sung alongside a thick riff-based structure, wherein they are a little lost. Nevertheless, as the album begins, it is enjoyable enough to get instantly hooked into the groove – so to speak.

Have you ever picked-up a DVD box set of a really exciting TV series and quickly learned that, to get the most impact from the material, you shouldn’t watch any more than one episode per day? That is called the Law of Diminishing Returns. The more used to something you get, the less effect it has on you. Unfortunately, Faith or Theory suffers from exactly that. It is good all the time you are hearing only one or two tracks at a time. Listened to as a complete piece, the songs seep into each other, so that it all begins to sound the same. I’m not certain how I would cope with an entire live show.

Don’t get me wrong; I’ve heard considerably worse than this, believe me. At least Circle of Reason has something going for it as a band. It’s just not varied enough for me, and so is not my cup of tea.

5

Ty Power