Savage Circus - Of Doom And Death
Dockyard1
Power Metal
9 songs (57:33)
Release year: 2009
Savage Circus, Dockyard 1
Reviewed by Kyle
Album of the month

Savage Circus seems to be quite a controversial band in the power metal scene at the moment, and if you’ve been following them, you certainly know why. Their problem is a bit unusual: They’re not creating a fuss because they’re a corny, cheese-laden outfit interested in nothing but speed and the most ridiculous of uplifting melodies (DragonForce), nor is it because their newest album was widely received as a disappointment from a band capable of much more (Gamma Ray). Oddly enough, in a world where power metal bands are constantly ripping off the established acts of the genre, and one where this fact has become widely tolerated and excepted by metal fans, Savage Circus has suffered a wide-spread exodus from many a PM lover’s ear for being too similar to Blind Guardian… And the BEST FREAKING ERA of Blind Guardian at that! The average critical reception of their newest album, Of Doom And Death, has been infuriating me for the past week or two, as most reviewers recite the fact that it’s sonically akin to Somewhere Far Beyond and Imaginations From The Other Side as the only reason to justify a less than favorable score. And Savage Circus was created with that very goal in mind by Blind Guardian ex-drummer Thomen Stauch! And BG definitely isn't currently making music that matches the caliber of those albums, so what's the damn problem with having another band fill the void? Ugh. It just makes me sick. Anyway, enough of my bitching and onwards with my review.

Savage Circus is a power metal super group, founded by the aforementioned Thomen Stauch (though he has been replaced on this album with the widely accomplished Mike Terrana) and featuring two members each of Persuader and Iron Savior. The band’s main goal? To recreate the perfection of Blind Guardian’s two most essential power metal cornerstones. But do they succeed? The answer from me is a very loud and proud “HELL YEAH!” They fully embrace their goal with every bit of passion and every ounce of musical prowess that each member possesses. Of Doom And Death is the ultimate culmination of all their hard work – it’s a massive wall of sound that even makes their excellent debut pale in comparison. But does the band suffer from originality because of this? Unfortunately, it can’t be denied that the answer to this question is “Yes”.

Thankfully, Savage Circus doesn’t emulate BG in every single aspect; Yes, Persuader’s Jens Carisson is a DEAD ringer for Hansi Kursch (I’m not kidding, check this guy out if you haven’t already), and the epic lead guitar lines will have you instantly recalling several melodic moments from Imaginations…, but overall, Savage Circus seems like a much more aggressive and darker band, with songs covering grim fantasy (Devil’s Spawn is a tale of the Headless Horseman) and the loss of life and love (Ballad Of Susan is about… well, if you’ve read The Dark Tower series, you’ll know). There’s also some obvious and expected Iron Savior influence here, both in riff / song structure and in vocal melodies, especially when the always incredible Piet Sielck decides to chime in with some well-placed backup singing. This is most evident on the album’s title track; just listen to the chorus and you’ll hear exactly what I mean (This is yet another song about The Dark Tower). And the speed! Savage Circus absolutely refuses to slow their pace, except on the sole ballad – other than that, it’s thrash / speed metal double bass kicks and off-beat snare hits most of the way through.

The number of highlights present here is rather impressive, and every song has memorable moments, but a few tracks qualify as being power metal masterpieces. Of Doom And Death begins with the title track, probably the most aggressive song on the album, that doesn’t let up on speed or the amount of fun until the very end; the melodies are impressive, and the Iron Savior inspired moments aren’t expected with this song at first, but they’re present all the same and they’re placed quite skillfully. Empire is a song about sci-fi and horror’s current big trend: Zombies. The song is structured like a typical living dead flick is – One person becomes infected (The ominous electronic bell intro), then the virus slowly but surely spreads (The introduction of electric guitars and drums, with a sense of building intensity), and finally the disease becomes so widespread that there’s barely any humans left, leaving the infected to attack the survivors as they hopelessly flee (The point where the song finally breaks into full-on speed metal). Add in a big, powerful chorus, and some impressive lead guitar work, and you have an instant power metal classic. Ballad Of Susan is a very unexpected and misleading track; it begins with a longing piano melody, before moving onto a more charismatic chorus, and eventually delving into a dark, mid-paced heavy metal section. There’s also some backup vocals that are clearly influenced by 70’s Queen (I’m really liking all the Queen influence in power metal that has been happening lately), and the song is a well structured musical companion to Roland of Giliad’s descent into madness after he loses the love of his life. And Devil’s Spawn… this is one HELLuva song. The verse is very cool and suitably driving, but it’s the pre-chorus and chorus that are the true highlights. It’s at this point where the song becomes so damn fast and the melody so infectiously good that you’ll be snapping your neck in response to Savage Circus’ madness.

… Well! This review took up much more space on the page than I thought it would. Perhaps that’s only because I feel so horrible over the bad press Of Doom And Death has been receiving, and wanted to convince you all otherwise, but as a result this review has most likely been exposed as a fanboy’s work, and for that I apologize. But I urge you, if you’re a Blind Guardian fan (or a power metal fan of any kind, really), you must buy this. It may not win any points for being original, but this sound is so very intense and well produced, and the music so well written (There’s almost always some kind of little lead guitar melody going on) that I simply love it. Of Doom And Death is, to put it quite plainly, a must-own.

Killing Songs :
All, but the best are Of Doom And Death, Devil's Spawn, Empire, and Ballad Of Susan
Kyle quoted 92 / 100
Other albums by Savage Circus that we have reviewed:
Savage Circus - Dreamland Manor reviewed by Danny and quoted 90 / 100
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