Band : Dream Circus
Album title : Fear
Label : Casket Music – Copro Records
Distributor : PHD – Bertus
Release date : 28/03/2011 (UK= 21/02/2011)
Release : (4-track) CD-EP

A quickie...not by my choice, but because there's barely more info available than that provided us by the label. In fact, here is that info, quite literally: “Dream Circus is a dark, melodic, Heavy Rock band, with roots in Canada, the UK and Portugal. The four members have brought all their influences and cultural diversity together to make a unique sounding debut. Aggressive guitars and pounding rhythms along with melodic, memorable songs make this band a force to be reckoned with...Dream Circus will be touring extensively across Europe and North America to support their debut release Fear, which will be released worldwide through Casket Music.”

the line-up of the band includes lead singer/ guitarist James Powell (whom is most possibly the Canadian pat of the equasion) second guitarist Fred Rosa (he might be the UK connection), bassist Sandro Oliveira (the only member I found additional info of, namely that he also plays in Portuguese covers band Vinegar) and drummer Ricardo Barroso (not to be confused for the Mexican politician who's running for a governor's job at the moment). At (www.) myspace.com/dreamcircusofficial you'll find the band's music tagged as “Alternative/ Grunge/ Rock”, but when listening to the two songs posted, you'll agree that Grunge Metal is a more adequate categorisation (actually, if I could put it a bit more complicated, I'd tag it “Heavy Grunge Rock”, because that is far more to the point). I like the way the lead vocalist's slow moan (dragging out quite a few of his words to that effect) is supported by one of the other guys, in a voice slightly deeper. Evidently, the music follows suit in the singers' pace, with the occasional slight (really not too much) picking up of pace in the short instrumental passages. And, answering to the axiom that a good Rock/ metal band should also have at least a semi-ballad, DC use acoustic guitar in the opening passage of the EP's closing track “My Own Enemy”.

Nice, but not world-shocking EP...great if you're raised in Grunge and got stuck into that! Younger Rock/ Metal fans might like this too, because the songs were expertly written and executed. Check it out at your own pleasure!

89/100

Tony.