Customer Reviews

Delusions of Grandeur

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This album came as a very pleasant surprise to me. Not that I wasn't expecting great things from this band, after all their last release 'Burden of Truth' was by far their best effort to date and saw the band solidifying there brand of melodic hard rock/metal to near perfection. What caught me by surprise is the full on 'Metal' approach the band took with this album! From the opening moments of leadoff track 'Fatal Warning' I thought I was listening to Angel Dust, Tad Morose, or Brainstorm. Zak and co. certianly did not rest on their laurels and remain stagnant. They have really branched out on this album sounding more modern, heavy, and aggressive.

The addition of down tuned guitars, an influx of double bass drumming, and some really well crafted riffs all play there part in this expanded sound, but overall it still sounds like Circle II Circle. All of the melodies are kept intact while the song writing is taken to another level.

Another improvement is in the solo department. The solos on this record are phenomenal! It sounds as if Zak played a bunch of Cris Oliva solos for the guitarists and said here 'match this'. Albeit an impossible task it sounds like guitarists Andy and Evan were willing to die trying.

Of course the album still includes a couple of ballads like 'Echoes' and 'Every Last Thing' for Zak to fully showcase his world class vocal talent and they are done very well. Though I personally enjoy the harder side of Circle II Circle the best, I found the ballads on this album to be a step up and more interesting compared to the ones on previous albums.

Overall I really like the direction Circle II Circle has taken on 'Delusions of Granduer'. I think they have gotten further away from the 'Savatage' sound and have grown into their own personal sound now. I think that is an important attribute for any band but especially for a band like Circle II Circle that has such strong ties to Zak's former band Savatage.

'Delusions of Granduer' has definately exceeded my expectations and will certainly rank high on my top albums of 2008 list. I also really hope they keep with the heavier more modern approach found in this album and develop it further in the future.

Stand Out Tracks: Fatal Warning, Waiting, Chase the Lies, Forever, Dead of Dawn

This album came as a very pleasant suprise to me. Not that I wasn't expecting great things from this band, after all their last release 'Burden of Truth' was by far their best effort to date and saw the band solidifying there brand of melodic Hard Rock/Metal to near perfection. What caught me by surprise is the full on 'Metal' approach the band took with this album! From the opening moments of leadoff track 'Fatal Warning' I thought I was listening to Angel Dust, Tad Morose, or Brainstorm. Zak and co. certianly didn't rest on their laurels and stay stagnant. They have really branched out on this album sounding more modern, heavy, and aggressive.

The addition of down tuned guitars, an influx of double bass drumming, and some really well crafted riffs all play there part in this expanded sound, but the good news is it still sounds like Circle II Cirlce. All of the melodies are kept intact while the song writing is taken to another level.

Another improvement is in the solo department. The solos on this record are phenomenal! It sounds as if Zak played a bunch of Cris Oliva solos for the guys and said here 'match this'. Albeit an impossible task, it sounds like guitarists Andy and Evan were willing to die trying.

Of course the album still includes a couple ballads like 'Echoes' and 'Every Last Thing' for Zak to fully showcase his world class vocal skills and they are done very well. Though I personally enjoy the harder side of Circle II Circle the best, I found the ballads on this album to be a step up and more interesting compared to the ones on previous albums.

Overall, I really like the direction Circle II Circle has taken on 'Delusions of Granduer'. I think they have gotten further away from the 'Savatage' sound and have grown into their own personal sound now. I think that is an important attribute for any band but especially for a band like Circle II Circle that has such stong ties to Zak's former band Savatage.

'Delusions of Granduer' has definately exceeded my expectations and will certainly rank high on my top 2008 albums list. I also really hope they keep with the heavier more modern approach found in this album and develop it further in the future.

Stand Out Tracks: Fatal Warning, The Waiting, Chase the Lies, Forever, Dead of Dawn

2008's Delusions of Grandeur is the fourth album from melodic heavy metal band Circle II Circle, the band formed by former Savatage vocalist Zak Stevens. I heard the band play some of the material from this album a few months earlier, so I thought I knew what to expect, but I think I underestimated just how HEAVY Delusions of Grandeur would be.

Delusions of Grandeur is easily Circle II Circle's heaviest album, and after the more melodic Burden of Truth it comes as a bit of a shock. It's similar to the heavy-hitting power metal of Symphorce and Brainstorm in many ways. There are a lot of crushing, thrash-like riffs, and the keyboard elements are kept to a bare minimum. Songs like Seclusion and Echoes have that classic Circle II Circle/Savatage sound, but for the most part heavy is definitely the order of the day. Heaviness aside, the presence of Zak Stevens and his uniquely powerful vocals are what makes this an unmistakable Circle II Circle album. The man has never sounded better, and with each new album he becomes a better songwriter.

I can't help but miss the more melodic sound of Burden of Truth and Watching in Silence, as those are my favorite Circle II Circle releases. Still, Delusions of Grandeur is a very impressive album, and a worthy addition to the Circle II Circle discography.

Between this album and the recently released Jon Oliva's Pain album Global Warning, Savatage fans have a lot to be happy about in 2008. I know I'm looking forward to seeing both bands perform at this year's ProgPower USA festival.

I was a huge fan of Zak Stevens era Savatage, largely due to Zak's vocals, Cris Oliva's playing and the awesome songs. You get two out of the three here... killer songs and killer playing, but it's as if Zak can no longer hit a high note and by the time I was done listening to the CD, I realized I'd been waiting for Zack Stevens to cut loose, only to be left wanting. I've listened to the CD a number of times, but just can't get past it and won't likely listen to it again unless it comes up randomly on my Ipod. Too bad. Zak, if you're reading this... cut loose on the next record, baby! CUT LOOSE!

This is a very good Metal band that has a vocalist with a power voice box. Excellent CD for any Metal fan. If you like Savatage you will love this band. My favorite song is Echoes just listen to the samples and you'll will know what I mean. Another thing you can understand every word he says.

Wow- what a big surprise this album was. This is truly a metal album. There are eight heavy songs and two slower songs. The production is top notch. Zaks voice sounds more powerful then it has on previous albums. This is one of the best metal albums so far this year.

I've been looking forward to this release for months now, being a huge fan of everything Zak Stevens has done. This is by far his worst effort.

For the most part, the songs are rather tuneless, and in no way memorable. The lyrics just don't seem to fit within the confines of the tunes, and seem awkward and very forced, taking away from whatever melody there is. The actual lyrics also seem juvenile and just not well thought out. Musically, the double bass drum doesn't work well here. Guitar solos and guitar work in general are also weak, and non memorable.

I've given this 3 listens now, and that's why it's getting 3 stars. I would have only given it 2 stars after the first listen. Maybe it'll grow on me, but even if it does, it's still a huge disappointment.

Sorry for the bad news...

This Is A Good CD- But Not Great ! It Is Heavier Than The Three Previous Releases ! It's Not A Bad Cd Just Not As Much Melody As Before ! I Would Still Buy It !