Search - Circle II Circle :: Middle of Nowhere

3.5 stars - Breaking Free

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/13/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Middle of Nowhere is Zak Stevens' and Circle II Circle's first big step out from under the Savatage shadow. Stevens' former bandmates Jon Oliva and Chris Caffery were heavily involved in Circle II Circle's stellar debut album Watching in Silence, which for all intents and purposes could have been the new Savatage album. This time around, Caffery and Oliva are absent, as is virtually everyone else involved on the Circle II Circle debut (the rest of the band having defected to Jon Oliva's Pain).



With The Middle of Nowhere, Stevens leads Circle II Circle towards developing their own unique sound. This is no easy feat, since Stevens has one of the most distinctive voices in metal, and hearing it immediately brings to mind all of those unforgettable Savatage songs. Still, I think he succeeded with The Middle of Nowhere. The songs on this album sound far more like Circle II Circle songs than Savatage songs, in part because the keyboards play a lesser role. The album is more guitar-driven and very melodic, and has little of the epic Savatage flair. I'm sure Paul O'Neill's absence as a producer has a lot to do with this. The Middle of Nowhere is also probably the least "metal" album from this band.



While this works in establishing Circle II Circle as its own band, those of us who have a deep love of all things Savatage can't help but be a little disappointed that The Middle of Nowhere doesn't have the familiar sound that Watching in Silence had. It is a good album, but the songs just aren't as memorable as the material on the debut. As hard as I try to keep an open mind, deep down I'm waiting to hear songs that sound like "Handful of Rain" or "Edge of Thorns." Building their own legacy may be Circle II Circle's biggest challenge."