I've been hearing a lot of overproduced albums lately, particularly from the bands at the forefront of the popular metalcore movement. Atreyu is a fine example of this; their last release was more of a display of studio magic than it was a display of musicianship. Leave it to a small label and an unknown band to put things back in order. Immigrant sun has put out some cool releases, from the likes of Elad Love Affair and Aztec Two Step, and this album from Circles Over Sidelights is another impressive addition.

The production of this album is fairly raw, relatively speaking, meaning it's anything but slick and streamlined. However, although some may complain about it, I enjoy this much more than soaring vocals and harmonies that a band could never dream of recreating live. The band's mix of Swedish inspired metal and chaotic metalcore might not be kicking down any doors in the department of originality, but they do an impressive job of balancing the two sounds. The band's intensity and the fact that guitars aren't perfectly cleaned up make this release sound very energetic. The mixture of thrash inspired speed and melodic riffing in utilized heavily on this disc, but it doesn't seem like they took pieces of different songs or bands and just threw them together either. Circles Over Sidelights definitely has the chops to go further than this.

The fact these guys are so young makes this even more impressive, and it also makes me wonder what they can pull off with a bit more experience. For a group of kids barely out of high school, this band sounds surprisingly seasoned. All in all, this debut will easily put this band's foot in the door, and hopefully lead the way to more promising ventures.

My Favorite Track: Duderstadt

Duderstadt MP3