Callenish Circle

Flesh Power Domination (Metal Blade)
by Martin Popoff

Long-suffering for ten years and Dutch, Callenish Circle have evolved from old death to nü death (!) creating a fast, perfectly-serviceable Swedish thrash somewhere between old Soilwork, Darkane, Dark Tranquillity (dude did the cover art), the mean medium of Arch Enemy experiences, and the violence of the band’s more successful clog-mates, God Dethroned. The production is thick and no nonsense, and a bit of a chore when it comes to Patrick Savelkoul’s considerably extreme and somewhat pushed-in vocals. But the churning guitars and bright and groovy drums push the band well and good into what is unfortunately a glutted pack. As we move deeper into the album, we get a few keyboard and acoustic experiments, some accessible, less speedy bits, marbled regularly by that particular high-tensile metal velocity at which most of this stuff thrives. Then, my friends, deep up the record, into the bonus tracks, round the corner and past a Death cover, oddity reigns supreme, with a complete re-riffing/gutting/reconstitution of Golden Earring’s legendary (yeah, legendary!) “When the Lady Smiles,” which Callenish predictably thrashes but unpredictably re-melodies with respect to the verse riff, coming up with a bizarre half-speed “Number of the Beast” idea. Very weird, and quite unpleasant. But there are a million parts, and while it’s so bad it’s bad, it’s also so bad it’s good.
(2828 Cochran St. PMB #302 Simi Valley, CA 93065)