Maximum Metal Rating Legend

The Tenth Circle - Of War And Reflection - 2005 - Bled Out Records

Track Listing1. Oblivion 2. Of War and Reflection 3. The Reckoning 4. In the Name of... 5. Reinvention 6. Last Will and Testament 7. Most Honorable Death 8. Condemned 9. Salvation 10. Divided 11. Fateless

The Tenth Circle is a fairly new band out of Pennsylvania, formed from the ashes of Cirrhosis. The band made their way around the east coast, playing with other tri-state acts and crafting their blend of classic death metal intricacies with today's more modern, processed bands. In 2004 the band recruited vocalist Ross Whitecavage (ex-How It Ends). Their pre-production demo made its way around the circuits, and gained the notice of former Hate Eternal drummer Tim "The Missle" Yeung. Recently Yeung picked up the "fastest feet" award at the '06 NAMM show, and with his veteran background really put The Tenth Circle in the driver's seat for their debut recording. The Tenth Circle joined forces with famed producer Eric Rachel (Hatebreed, God Forbid, Black Dahlia Murder), and received mastering assistance from Alan Douches (Mastodon, Unearth, Sepultura). Also helping with the mix is Erin Farley (All Out War, Overkill, Sick Of It All).

"Of War And Reflection" is just a brutal piece of work, and one explosive debut album. The Tenth Circle should be turning plenty of heads with this massive assault, hopefully gaining the attention of a label like Earache, Nuclear Blast, or even Roadrunner. They are that good, and their sound isn't too far removed from the more modern tendencies of billboard groups like Lamb Of God or Black Dahlia Murder. Vocally Whitecavage is fairly one dimensional, really using more of a hardcore shout than a deep death rumble. The riffs here are extremely technical, with plenty of tempo changes with stop/start precision. At times the guitars are just a monolith of sound, bordering on walls of pure adrenaline and focused aggression. With this much intensity comes Yeung's human drum machine skills, with plenty of rapid fire double bass that mixes with the smashing riffs to leave the listener in sound shock. Fans of the more modern metal scene will find the sound and mix perfectly in tune with the cutting edge bands dominating MTV2 and Revolver Magazine, while still bridging the gap between old and new.

Bottom Line - The Tenth Circle have created a blistering sonic fury that is pure energy, pure annihilation, and pure attitude. Today's brand of metal starts here!



--EC 02.02.06