Circus Circus
"Brooklyn Nightlife" CD
CI Records
Genre: post-hardcore, screamo, metal
Lancaster, PA
October 2009 |
I'm impressed by this
Blood Brothers-esque post-hardcore experience in terms of its
sheer extremeness - the five guys behind Circus Circus
populate this disc with ample yelling, guitar stop-starting, and
percussive insanity. But it will take a genre devotee to contently
endure the whole record. My problem with this exuberantly dynamic
form of music is that it's just too overwhelming. This, I suppose,
might not necessarily sound like a bad thing, but after ten minutes this
just starts to sound like a whole lot of noise. It's a shame,
because in terms of technical skill and energy, there's much to fawn
over on Brooklyn Nightlife. Dig the metal overdrive of "First
We Feast, Then We Felony," the machine-gun drums on "Telepathic
Chant," or the hellish fury of "Eden in Sweden". It's hard not to
feel the impulse to jump around and body check things while listening
to these songs. But implied in that realization is the notion that
this perhaps isn't the best music for home listening; instead,
Circus Circus seems to be the type of band you see live, or at
least reserve for moments of unbridled frustration. With that said,
judging by other reviews, this stuff is licked right up by screamo/post-hardcore
enthusiasts, so perhaps it's just a case of me not really getting
it. As such, Brooklyn Nightlife won't make converts out of
non-believers, but it's likely to rally the fans into a feverish
rustle-bustle. Feel the angst.
Fun fact:
Possibly named after an obscure early band by W.A.S.P. singer
Blackie Lawless.
circus
circus' myspace
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 10 tracks, distributed by
the
label,
released 2009] |