Circle II Circle
The Middle Of Nowhere

THE REVIEW

For those who are not familiar with them, Circle II Circle is the group founded by Zachary Stevens, former singer of Savatage (but if I have to tell you..).

Besides this, there are many other points of contact with the famous metal veterans, starting precisely with the sound, which is practically identical (therefore, conventional American heavy metal), but also the names of the beneficiaries of the royalties: Stevens, Oliva, Aufferman, Caffery, in other words, the Savatage.

“The Middle of Nowhere” is an excellent album, powerful but not heavy, consisting of 10 tracks for about 50 minutes. It should be noted that here, the Savatage influence is felt less compared to the previous “Watching In Silence”. Sandwiched between the apparent tranquility of the closing “Lost” and the first few minutes of the introductory “In This Life” (which then unfolds into a pleasant aggressiveness), the pieces that most enhance Stevens' magnificent vocal technique and timbre, we find more dark and sharp pieces (“All That Remains”, “Open Season”, “Holding On” and “Faces in the Dark”), more cheerful atmospheres (“Cynical Ride”, “Hollow” and especially “Psycho Motor”) which dissipate in the melancholic title track.

Highly recommended album primarily for fans of Savatage (as well as “Watching In Silence”), but also for those accustomed to more violent sounds who occasionally want to hear something melodic.