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CIRCLE OF PAIN
”Classic Live Tunes”
(MTM)

DCD - The idea to let a symphonic orchestra give an added edge to your music is nothing new. Deep Purple has done it. So has Metallica. And now German band Circle Of Pain has done it. I visited their web page (www.circle-of-pain.de) to find out more about the band but seeing as it was all in German I didn’t get much out of it. What I do understand is that they’ve only done one album, “Paradox Of Destitution”, before this release and that the first 18 tracks are from that one and that it’s some sort of concept/story. Musically there are traces of Queensrÿche but they are few and far apart. Mostly this is just an OK hardrock/heavy metal release that could do with that little extra that sets the good apart from the rest.

DVD -The filmed part of this release left me wondering if they forgot about the audience participation because it feels like it’s a filmed rehearsal. There’s no soul and spirit. If it’s down to the rigorous direction of the director or if the band are just this plain and flat I’ll leave unsaid. The extra material (some extra live material, some covers - UFO, Patti Smyth a o and backstage/interview sections) saves this from being a total let down.

-Anders Ekdahl