For some peculiar reason, the Gothic moniker almost always denotes some sort of a derivative of TYPE O NEGATIVE when it comes to metal, whereas, if you really paid homage to the original literary genre, you should be talking about the gloom and doom of both the most brutal side of death metal and the symphonic viciousness of black metal alike. Thus, if I were to introduce the perfect paradigm example of true Gothic metal, I would probably put on the new album, “Of Awakening,” by the German metal extremists, THE CIRCLE. Released on August 18th, 2023, via AOP Records, this offering sure does nail down the true aesthetic of the 18th-century literature movement, pairing terror with pleasure and launching a cathartic process in the inner sanctum of the listener. During this 5-track journey, the songs do not fail to create a pervasive sense of uncanniness, almost as though you were holed up in that crumbling medieval castle all by yourself or isolated in some other haunted space of decrepitude where past and present fold in on each other in ways beyond explanation. Quite befittingly, the album comes off a fine blend of aggression and disharmony, almost instantly, yet captivating the listener in a sorrowful and haunting atmosphere, just like the band’s press release put it.
“Ruins, My Dying World” sets things in motion with a fierce battle cry that is deliciously reminiscent of both SWALLOW THE SUN and OCTOBER TIDE, especially during the mellow mid-section. The blast-beat assaults turn the intensity knob up a good notch like a good literary trope adding a further air of mystery. Seen from the ruins of a dying world, the sky indeed seems perpetually dark and stormy and the air is filled with an unshakable chill. Halfway into the song, the multi-layered vocals follow such a haunting minor-key melody that it churns the heart – in a good way – and the voice-over section only adds to this spooky air. It is a recurring theme in Gothic literature that physical and mental ruin go hand in hand and this song ventures into the dark recesses of the mind in nothing short of a spectacular manner. The chord sequence progressing beneath the majestic strings/synths is so delicious that I might have to try to transcribe it!
The title track features Tim Charles of NE OBLIVISCARIS on violin – and the sections where you can hear him play those beautifully sorrowful legatos are sure to blow your socks off. The thing is, while the term, “Gothic,” instantly conjures images of hungry ghosts and dark despair, the genre is not all about horror – it’s about heart-wrenching beauty in equal measures. In the context of metal, “Of Awakening” is a damn fine example of how this type of Gothic impact is delivered by musical means. On occasion, Charles‘ signature violin licks might even fool you into thinking you’re listening to his own band – the sonic terrain is similarly tinged with nice progressive contours.
As if I weren’t sold already by the third track, entitled “Afflux,” it puts the icing on the cake with slow-crushing melancholy reminiscent of, say, SWALLOW THE SUN‘s most chilling contributions to Gothic doom. Vocalist Asim Searah really shines on this track, by turns crooning like Roy Khan (CONCEPTION, ex-KAMELOT) and growling like a hellhound with vocal versatility similar to Mikko Kotamäki from the helm of this Finnish doomsday squad. I couldn’t help but put the song on repeat a few dozen times before proceeding to the next ones. There is a distinct ‘exit music for a film” vibe in the song’s monolithic heaviness, which happens to be exactly the sales pitch to win me over, musically. In this respect, the song’s coda hits close to CULT OF LUNA‘s most chilling epics.
Then, as luck would have it, “Reign of the Black Sun” picks up from where “Afflux” left off. The funeral-march-tempo intro features some operatic vocals by a mystery female vocalist that really chill the bone. While I was trying to search for the name of the guest vocalist through some online reviews already out there, I noticed how quite a few reviews likened THE CIRCLE‘s trademark doom to FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE. Well, I haven’t really listened to them so I couldn’t say this or that, but if it’s anything to go by, I guess I’m going to have to check them out too! On this particular track, the Slavic melancholy comes through those blackened tremolo-guitars quite nicely – for a Finn, obviously! – so, I’m quite ready to announce that we have a winner!
Finally, “Ashes and Fading Tides” brings this Gothic journey to a close with epic blast beats and symphonic gloom. For a moment, I thought the song featured a guest vocalist, some mystery male dropping nothing short of haunting clean vocals. Then, at some point, I realized that it was just Searah with his voice oozing ”versatility with every syllable” as some online review put it. Fucking hell! Talk about having a vocal range and knowing how to use it! SWALLOW THE SUN comes to mind, obviously. It’s hard to find anything bad to say about this album, apart from the fact that 33 minutes of Gothic beauty of this caliber is by far not enough. Thank the devil we don’t live in the vinyl era anymore, so you can easily put the whole selection on repeat ad infinitum – because, let’s be frank here, that’s what you’re going to have to do.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Ruins, My Dying World
- Of Awakening (feat. Tim of NE OBLIVISCARIS)
- Afflux
- Reign of the Black Sun
- Ashes and Fading Tides
Lineup
Asim Searah – vocals
Stanley Robertson – guitars
Jaakko Nikko – bass
Philipp Wende – drums
Label
AOP Records
