TURN UP THE BAND (2013)
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Originally signed to U.S. label Kivel Records, Norway's Faith Circus is finally coming back to town via the yellow brick road, Oz (Australia) and MelodicRockRecords. That's international business and internet to ya' in a modern world. 'If people didn't feel a throwback to the late 80's stuff, we'd be really surprised' - the direct quote from singer Marc Farrano. Indeed. It's all very 'Black N Blue, XYZ, Shark Island, Silent Rage', and perhaps even the hint of the altogether common hard rock thread of Mötley Crue and eventually KISS.
To be completely honest. You could probably not stroll down Sunset Blvd in 1987 without bumping into 1000's of similar 'up and coming acts' [Urban's note: sadly not old enough to have actually been there. It's basically a shot in the dark - sue me!]. 'Turn Up The Band' is very themed indeed to fit the feeling and atmosphere of a pre-grunge historic past and world. Some hic-ups may distract the pure melodic metal flow of it,
but nothing too bad or completely out of order. The guitars are loud, the vocals are nasty, and the melodies are darn right down and dirty.
It's hardly rocket science and it's the type of CD that can be easily defined with simple genre signifier, easily summarised as "Hair-Metal" even if most of us hate this particular term (considering that EVERYBODY had big-hair in the 80s). "Sunshine Radio", the classic feel-good MTV hit and I had a pretty good time listening to this while day-dreaming about the golden era of Sunset Blvd. To quote the band, 'Calling out across the land, every woman every man. Find a new religion inside the circus. Your satisfaction guaranteed, we'll fulfil your every need, if you only believe'. Indeed. If you believe in Black N Blue, XYZ, Shark Island, Silent Rage, etc. Have a go at the Faith Circus and Turn Up The Band. Solid fun schtuff.
By: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
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This sophomore release may come as a surprise to some who thought Faith Circus had split for good after one self-titled release on Kivel Records back in 2008. A very promising debut full of big harmonies on the backing vocals with infectiously catchy choruses that had AOR fans dribbling with delight and the talented Marius Mörch producing magic with his strings.
Fast forward to the present and Mörch, sadly, is no longer with the band, although he did record this album before departing.
His place has been taken by H.K. Rein who was spotted on YouTube playing in a covers band whilst bassist Lasse Koester is also missing, his place being taken by Christer Ottesen.
Led by vocalist Marc Farrano with Baard Nordvik still occupying the drum stool this is a slightly harder edged and faster paced Faith Circus.
Gone is the ultra smooth clean sheen AOR replaced by an equally infectious groove and catchy sound but imbued with a more old school
Rock ‘n’ Roll vibe that Farrano insists was always there.
Mörch has eschewed that eighties melodic guitar sound so well yet still has those classic riffs that propel the opening hard driving ‘Restless Heart’ and classic fist pumping title track ‘Turn Up The Band’ forward.
Nordvik and Ottesen have a huge sounding rhythm that Thomas Haugland has captured and in conjunction with the guys mixed really well.
The incomparable Dennis Ward has added his magic during the mastering process and what you have is a very snappy and crisp sound that captures Faith Circus’ energy, particularly on the powerful ‘Born With The Power’ that is a glorious amalgam of Dokken and Ratt – a real chest thumping Metal anthem that had me swinging my imaginary mike stand around in my living room and believing I was singing in front of a sold out Wembley Arena!
‘Inside The Circus’ is equally adept at stirring the emotions, full of beautiful melodic guitar, punchy and pacy riffs and tremendously catchy to
boot! Elsewhere you have the breezy Americana style of ‘Sunshine Radio’ and ‘Into Your Heart’ and the heavy riff-tastic ‘Firesign’ with an underpinning 70’s Hammond going on. The ballad ‘Tears You’ve Never Cried’ is emotive and very well written with Farrano able to showcase his gravelly vibrato lower register and clean upper alto register to great effect.
This album didn’t grab me first time round but boy(!), am I glad I kept playing it as each play has revealed more and more of its depth.
Some may consider it generic but so what! Most of us grew up on this kind of stuff and it’s what’s shaped our lives today. Pure unadulterated nostalgia. When it’s this catchy, this well played and sung, and this well produced who gives a flying monkey’s. Born with the power indeed!
By Carl Buxton, Fireworks Magazine
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About time to do another Melodic Rock Records release! This time it is the latest Faith Circus release "Turn Up The Band". And as the label´s
name already hints at, this is melodic rock. Plain and simple! This is all about catchy choruses carried by the pleasant vocals of Marc Ferrano, loud guitars and flashy solos from Marius Mörch and all is expertly held together by the bass of Christer Ottesen and the drums of
Baard Nordvik. And as is mandatory in this style, all the guys sing backing vocals. Guesting is Tore Risa on keyboards.
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The production is as big as it needs to be, with room for everything to be heard. And with the energy the guys put into their performances,
the thing really comes kicking out of the speakers. Which is of course a good thing! Yes, some will say this is nothing new, but afficionados
will still like this no matter what. This is done with style and conviction.
The songs are memorable and have you tapping your feet or head along in seconds.
Another nice touch is that you get the previous album as a bonus, so you will have 23 songs instead of 10, for the same price.
Awesome deal and the band deserve you checking it out. Great album to rock out to!
Yourmusicblog.nl
We at 0dayrox already presented Norwegian melodic rockers FAITH CIRCUS here, on occasion when they re-released their debut re-mixed and
a live EP. Now Faith Circus is finally back with album #2 “Turn Up The Band”, featuring a bonus CD including the first self-titled album remixed
plus some bonus tracks.
You'd expect a band as polished as Faith Circus and playing this kind of Melodic Hard Rock to come from Sweden, but instead, Faith Circus is a Norwegian band that draws on the influences from classic Euro acts but also big names from America.
One more time the band delivers a full dose of Arena ready catchy tracks in the vein of Firehouse, late eighties TNT, Damn Yankees or Stage Dolls.
Guitar-driven and stormy rockers like “Restless Heart”, “Turn Up The Band” or “Born With The Power”, bouncy melodic cuts such as “Inside the Circus” and “Sunshine Radio” (love this one) catapult your right back to the '80s when a ballad like “Tears You've Never Cried” would have
been a sure hit.
On this new album, founding members singer Marc Farrano (who reminds me of Jamie Rowe a lot) and drummer Baard Nordvik are presenting
their new bandmates; guitarist H.K. Rein and bass player Christer Ottesen (ex-Popium/Flare).
As bonus, we have the band's self titled debut re-mixed and featuring two additional bonus tracks (13 songs total). The songs are "Heroes" and
a remake of the 1981 classic James Bond tune "For Your Eyes Only" - this time sung as a duet with the talented Robin Beck.
Being a Norwegian band has its perks, because two of the guest musicians on the recording are none other than Morty Black and Tony Harnell, both of Norway's greatest rock band; TNT. Drummer Steinar Krokstad from the should-be legendary Stage Dolls also guests along with a few others.
Packed with cool melodies and hooks, “Turn Up The Band” sounds unmistakably Scandinavian, but where Faith Circus lends their American influences as well.
Well produced by the band with the help of Thomas "tomtom" Haugland engineering, the mastering was left in the more than capable hands of Dennis Ward (Pink Cream 69, House Of Lords, Tesla) resulting in a crisp, catchy sounding material.
Very Recommended.
0dayrox.blogspot.no
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The 2nd album from a Norwegian quartet who was formed around Marc Farrano (vocals) of ex-QUAALUDES and made a debut in 2008. They disbanded in 2009 but reformed a year later with a different bass player, and released this album in 2013 after also changing the guitar player.
The sound production is full of "major" feel that can be described as splendid arena rock, and you can hear fresh melodic hard rock. Catchy melodies, right amount of "pop" feel, dynamic performances and stretching vocals - there's nothing to complain about. The fresh feel of
catchy track-3 or the subtle melancholic feel of track-7 can be said as very Scandinavian hard rock/pop, and they are also equipped with the "scale-feel" as if they were up-and-coming new talents from the USA in the late 80's. Good band! Track-11 to track-14 are Japanese bonus tracks.
- 90/100 Burrn Magazine (Japan)
"...this baby rocks like Megan Fox in a skin tight mini dress. "Turn Up The Band" offers a gloriously hedonistic trip down memory lane."
- 8/10, Dave Cockett - AOR Classic Rock 2013
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Starts out strong then kinda drifts after the midpoint of disc. Pretty good, melodic hard rock with a bent toward the gory, glory 'hair' daze.​
- 4/6, RockReport.be
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”Cockiness, razor-sharp riffing and air-punching hooks are plentiful!”
- 8/10, Dave Ling - Classic Rock Magazine
"Hot damn if some of the songs on this new album aren’t good enough to put you on your knees thanking God, Jesus, or your deity of choice.
If melodic hard rock is your religion, then you’ll want to make Faith Circus part of your creed."
- 8/10, Hard Rock Haven
Turn up the band and let it take you back to the summer of 1989... The second Faith Circus longplayer is most certainly a very vintage sounding album, but I'm not complaining because it's a throwback to a time when many of my favourite albums were released. More importantly, the band manages to sound convincing and energetic, even though they are not offering us anything particulary "new".
The Faith Circus sound is a very appealing mix of eighties' Kiss, Bon Jovi and Skid Row (first album) - there's plenty of melody but also a lot of raw power that makes it a bit special. The production is excellent, and the individual performances top notch. Some fine, fluid guitarwork here, not to mention Marc Farrano's fine vocals.
My favourite tracks include the superb summertime anthem "Sunshine Radio" (Blue Tears fans, take notice), the strong opener "Restless Heart" and the ballads "Tears You've Never Cried" and "Into Your Heart", both of which would have turned the band into MTV darlings back in 1989.
The only weak track is the plodding "Love Me Dry" which reminds me of Gene's half-hearted tracks on the eighties' Kiss albums. Otherwise it's all good, some better than others but thoroughly enjoyable.
By Kimmo Toivonen, Rockunited.com: 4/5
Five years have passed since the Faith Circus debut, now the band is finally back with album #2. One more time the band delivers a full dose of Arena Hard Rock in the vein of Firehouse and Damn Yankees. Guitar-driven and stormy rockers like “Restless Heart”, “Turn Up The Band” or “Born With The Power” catapult your right back to the 1980's when a ballad like “Tears You've Never Cried” would have been a sure hit! If you are still a friend of the 1980's Melodic Rock sound, then I highly recommend you to check out Faith Circus' new effort!"
By Marco Spath, AOR Heaven Newsletter.
If melodic hard rock is your religion, then you’ll want to make Faith Circus part of your creed. Hot damn if some of the songs on this new album aren’t good enough to put you on your knees thanking God, Jesus, or your deity of choice. Granted, the devil may have stuck his nasty little sulfuric fingers into the recording process every once in awhile because a few tracks slump a bit, but by and large this is a high quality release that gives melodic rock fans exactly what they crave.
First and foremost are the impressive vocals of Marc Farrano. A bad vocalist can break a good band and a good vocalist can elevate a bad band, so just imagine how sweet it is to hear a good vocalist front a good band. Actually, there’s no need to use your imagination…just go pick up a copy of this album and forgo imaginary in favor of sonic reality.
Faith Circus describe their sound as a hybrid of KISS, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Journey. As comparisons go, those aren’t too shabby. You’ll hear lots of cool melodies, some really good hooks, plenty of six-string sizzle, pounding rhythms, and the mandatory inclusion of smooth, layered harmonies. The production is slick and polished—perhaps just a touch TOO polished—so if you’re looking for grit, go buy
some sandpaper. Faith Circus is all about melody, not metal. Not a criticism, merely an observation.
Passion is an oft-ignored component in today’s rock ‘n’ roll climate, but you can hear it loud and clear in the music of Faith Circus. The band loves what they are doing and are having loads of fun doing it and that permeates their songs for the listener to experience. When a band is obviously having this much fun, you just naturally want to go along for the ride. Which is easy to do, thanks to some instantly-catchy sing-along tracks.
“Turn Up the Band” gets to cranking with a pure ‘80s vibe and those all-important, much-beloved gang vocals. Better yet is the anthemic,
power chord abusing “Born With the Power,” with classic hair-metal lyrics such as “You were born with the power / Yeah, you were born with
the power to rock.” KISS would approve and you will too. Proving they are not all rock all the time, the band delivers two quality ballads in
“Tears You’ve Never Cried” and “Into Your Heart,” testimony to their ability to tug the heartstrings and get the lighters (or cell phones, if you’re one of the cool kids) in the air.
Faith Circus have experienced break ups, member changes, and the usual assortment of bad luck than can befall a band along the way. But
rather than lay in the dust and moan like a kicked puppy, they have used the pressure to forge a fresh start. The band now calls MelodicRock Records home and Turn Up the Band should find its way into your home. Don’t waver, don’t hesitate – just have faith that you need this album.
By Mark Allen, Hardrock Haven: 8/10
Armed with an 80s-influenced sound described as a hybrid of Kiss, Van Halen, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Journey, the Norwegian quartet return from a five-year layoff. Cockiness, razor-sharp riffing and air-punching hooks are plentiful. A value-for-money package also includes a newly remixed version of Faith Circus, their self-titled debut album from 2008.
By Dave Ling, Classic Rock Magazine: 8/10
The style of the new album of Faith Circus is Melodic Rock and you can find in some ways some similarities with bands like Def Leppard, Kiss
and other big bands, but on the other side they have their own features that show their own personality. Their big personality is going to attract you and make you a big fan of the band.
By Steve Xanthis, minizine.berock-radio.com: 9.5/10
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Excellent album, very dynamic powerful guitar driven rock with superb harmonies - a bit like Def Leppard on steroids perhaps.
Anyway, the single 'Inside the Circus' is worth the cost of the album alone !!!!
This edition also contained a bonus disc of the - remixed - first album. Again this was excellent but come on chaps - what's with covering
Sheena Eastons' Bond movie theme 'For Your Eyes Only' ? Montrose have a similar aggressive guitar attack as you - how about an uber-credible cover ( with harmonies to adding something new ) of 'Rock the Nation' or 'Space Station No 5' ?
Definitely a band for the future if they can stop splitting up and getting back together again.
So - buy this double album PLUS buy the first self-titled album in its original mix format - that'll be money VERY well spent indeed ...
Mr. Richard A. Denham (amazon customer review)
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Faith Circus is finally back! The band that in 2008 released an amazing debut effort, today is back in the scene with the brand new "Turn Up The Band". The style of their debut was a great mix of the 80's, early 90's, scene and from bands such as Def Leppard, TNT, Kiss, Journey e.t.c. with clever hooks and choruses, powerful performances and very good songs.
In my humble opinion, this new release continues up where their debut stopped and that means very good songs, sing-a-long choruses, a polished production, strong performances by Marc Farrano and some really good riffs and solos. The highlights here? Many, if you ask me.
For example, the 80's melodic rocker gem of "Turn Up The Band" reflects everything that this band is capable of delivering when it comes to a
great melodic song! The up-tempo commercial tune of "Inside The Circus", the emotional power ballad with the great solo "Tears You've Never
Cried", the incredible and ultra-catchy "Sunshine Radio" and the Bon Jovi-esque mid-tempo hymn of "Into Your Heart" are some of the
highlights that you are going to hear from Faith Circus new attempt.
All in all, I have to say that I enjoyed every single minute of "Turn Up The Band". Faith Circus delivers a record that should have been released back in the 80's, early 90's!! Tons of melodies, powerful and at the same time emotional performances by Marc, great arrangements and only killer tracks here!! For sure, one of the best melodic hard rock albums of this year!!
By Vassilis Hassirtzoglou, Heavy Paradise: 9/10
5.l.i.v.e. (2012)
I have to say that I really like this band a lot. Their debut release was a damn fine piece of 80's, early 90's, influenced melodic hard rock stuff with catchy choruses, some impressive tracks, inspired riffs and solos and great vocal performances from the band's shouter Marc Farrano.
This is the band's newest EP and it's about a live one which features four tracks from Faith Circus' debut album plus an unreleased tune, "No Turning Back". "Tried N True" which opens the album is a brilliant song and it's probably one of the best melodic tunes ever written!!
The rest of the songs from the debut all have a more 'fresh' approach. The new track is a killer one with a catchy chorus line!! An appetizer for the band's next work?? I hope so!!
Overall, this is a solid release. I'm looking forward to the band's new album. For the fans of the band, this is a must have...for the rest of you go out and get the band's debut album to discover a melodic hard rock gem!
HeavyParadise's Rating: 8/10
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Norwegian Melodic Hard Rockers FAITH CIRCUS were already presented here with their stupendous debut some months ago.
Today, August 10, they're releasing the 5-track EP "5.Live", as the title says, recorded live.
The set features some of the best tracks of their debut plus the previously unreleased song "No Turning Back".
It is an electrifying show recorded privately in front of 200+ of their closest friends & fans.
I love this band and their brand of extremely melodious hard rock and this recording confirms they're really hot on stage as well.
The songs have been slightly re-arranged, specially "Hold On" featuring a crunchy guitar work, while the new track "No Turning Back"
has a catchy chorus. Another fine slice of Scandi Melodic Hard Rock from Faith Circus.
0dayrox.blogspot.no
FAITH CIRCUS (2008)
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FAITH CIRCUS is a Norwegian Melodic Hard Rock act who released their very good debut in 2008 through Kivel Records.
The label did little to promote the album which criminally passed unnoticed for the public. Besides, the band was not happy with the mix & mastering. Then they negotiated the contract and set them free.
Faith Circus decided to release by themselves their version of "Faith Circus", not only re-mixed and re-packaged, but also including two new tracks as bonuses, one of them a duet with the amazing Robin Beck!
You'd expect a band as polished as Faith Circus and playing this kind of Melodic Hard Rock to come from Sweden, but instead, Faith Circus is a Norwegian band that draws on the influences from classic Euro acts but also big names from America.
Being a Norwegian band has its perks, because two of the guest musicians on the release are none other than Morty Black and Tony Harnell,
both of Norway's greatest rock band TNT. Drummer Steinar Krokstad from the should-be legendary Stage Dolls also guests on the CD, along
with a few others.
I own the original 2008 release, and this re-mix and new tracklist truly launches this terrific collection of songs to a new level.
Now, one of the best songs of the CD is placed as opener; "Temporary High" is a true ass kicker rocker that rolls with an American vibe.
Lyrically, the song is strong as well, with sentiments like, "Do you want my love, or some temporary high?"
Next, we have another winner. "Back On Love" starts with the chorus sung a capella. While seemingly a straight ahead rocker, you'll hear keyboard fills and Def Leppard-like guitar leads interspersed throughout the track, making it more complicated than a cursory listen will detail. After the guitar solo, singer Marc Farrano displays his warm and solid singing style, and in many ways, he sounds like Jamie Rowe, which is a massive compliment. While probably the best song on the CD, some of the others come pretty damn close …
After these two uptempo tracks, Faith Circus proves they can flow into the mellower vein with ease, as you'll hear on "Half The Man." Not quite
a ballad, but more of a mid-tempo AOR rocker, this is a song about loss and dealing with being bereft after your love leaves. As noted before, the adjective 'polished' is a great way to define Faith Circus, and you'll hear it here.
Next, "Alive & Kickin´" ups the tempo again with a great rhythm, followed by the extremely melodious "Without Me" which reminds you of their countryman Stage Dolls. This is the kind of tunes that sticks in your head after a couple of listens.
"Hold On" is a jumpin', sort of quirky composition, beginning with a bass line from Lasse Koester, with guest keyboardist Dag Stokke (TNT, Vagabond) adding streams of melody to the overall feel. Guitarist Marius Morch doesn't show off but plays within the parameters of the song,
his solo superbly melodic and fluid. Singer Farrano seems to be the focal point of the band with his masculine yet flexible vocals stealing the spotlight most of the time, as happens on this brilliant track.
The band decides to wax poetic and philosophical on "Pushing Up Daisies". Thematically, it's about living in the now and not taking yourself so seriously.
Or, as they put it, "And all the bullshit that might seem so important now, won't compare to pushing up daisies. I'm talking about the beauty of simplicity." So take advice from Faith Circus and get rid of the convoluted aspects and the complexities of your life … or just groove to this song, a driving melodic hard rocker.
The CD is reaching its end with "Wasted Rainbow", which starts with noises of children playing and soft keyboards. The song is again contemplative and experiments with musical nuances and flow. You may be reminded of Winger on this track, another band that put
musicianship before looks. A really good one.
The first of the new tracks is "Heroes", an Americanized anthem filled with layers of harmonic vocals everywhere, and musically it has a killer groove.
"For Your Eyes Only" is a little gem of a song. This is a cover of the 1981 classic tune featured in a James Bond movie. This version has been arranged in a Melodic Rock semi-ballad style, performed in duet with the always outstanding Robin Beck. You will be thrilled by the quality of
this track, one of the highlights without a doubt.
Surely "Faith Circus" has slipped under the radar of most Melodic Hard Rock fans in its original release back in 2008.
Don't miss it now, this is a superb album full of amazing melodies and hooks. This re-mix now makes justice to these terrific songs delivered with pure passion for the genre.
The band presented the CD the last Christmas eve, and now is available in hard copies and as digital download.
Highly Recommended.
0dayrox.blogspot.no
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Background
Faith Circus is (was?) an outfit from Norway - I say 'was' because I'm finding conflicting reports on whether they are still together.
Their excellent second album 'Turn Up The Band' came out in 2013. It contained a bonus disc with the entire debut album from 2008, with all
11 songs remixed and two bonus tracks added. The track order was changed around on that disc as well. I guess the guys really wanted to
make sure that album found any listeners who may have missed it the first time around. And for good reason - there is some pretty incredible
stuff on here!
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The Songs
These songs are firmly planted in the style of many fine bands of the mid 80s - very early 90s timeframe.
I mentioned Winger in a comment on 'Turn Up The Band', and I'll throw Tyketto and early Black N Blue in there as well.
Marc Farrano has the perfect voice for this material, and the other guys nail that sound as though they stepped out of a time machine.
I've played the album in both the original and the re-released order, and both are fine. My favorite track on here is 'Temporary High', which
actually has the most modern sound of these songs. But the quality is even throughout, with the general tempo being in the fast - middle to
slower - middle range. They do this without ever sounding samey. Each song is solid both musically and lyrically.
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In Summary
Suffice to say, if you enjoyed 'Turn Up The Band', you'll enjoy this. Actually you probably already have, since I'm sure you gave that second
disc a proper spin. If you haven't gotten either, then definitely get the 2-for-1 'Turn Up The Band' package. This comes highly recommended
by me. George gave 'Turn Up The Band' a fine score of 8.5. Personally, I'd add a full point to that. And I think this one is right up there.
So my 8.5 reflects that I consider this one to be as good as the followup, but I'd actually go as high as even 9.5 for each of them.
Yeah, I like these guys. I really hope they're not done, as I'd like them to get into the new album every 2-3 years pattern.
- 8.5/10 Glorydazemusic.com
First release from what has to be Norway’s softest band since Stage Dolls. Even though Faith Circus are ironically enough based in THE black metal area of the country, these guys stick to songs about love for women and heartbreaks and the likes. This is actually a good sign as they
tend to come off as a little, er, in lack of a better term, silly. In all seriousness though, and even though I always have to blast Cannibal Corpse on full power after spinning these guys, if you like catchy, guitar-driven music and dominant vocals, this might be right up your anu.. eh
alley. Sounding like a combo consisting of Stage Dolls various glam-bands and even some Def Leppard, Meat Loaf and Whitesnake thrown in the mix, Faith Circus is undoubtedly extremely catchy, but not easy to take seriously. The songs are more or less varied in strength, with cool, not very distorted guitars, hooks, and good vocals. If I were to compare the vocals to anything metal, Jorn Lande is the first one that comes to mind. This guy’s voice is more or less Coverdale/Bon Jovi-worship, and it works out surprisingly well as it fits the music pretty nicely.
OH GOD THIS IS SO CHEESY! There, just had to get that out of the system.
Even though this is pretty good overall, there are quite a few forgettable moments as the songwriting is pretty weak as the dynamics are pretty much absent. Let’s remember however, that this is only the first release from these Norwegian kittens though and there is definitely room for improvement. Unless you’re buried inside your own pitch black mind, you cannot deny that this is catchy in the good way often enough. Songs like the anthemic Don’t Turn Your Back on Love and the almost musical-like Meat Loaf-inspired Temporary High is impossible to not nod along to as they have a nice drive to them, and you can’t deny Marius Mørch’s charismatic and warm guitar-tone when his blazing some pretty impressive leads, has a very nice feel to it even though it makes you all cuddly inside.
This is definitely nothing for the Slayer-fans among us. It is pretty cool for what it is, nothing more than a flowery, catchy and poppy 80s-rock album that’ll either put a smile on your face or make you incredibly sick to your stomach. Its inconsistency tends to ruin the good moments for them, but they are definitely here. Sadly, there are lots of weak ones as well, which leaves me a little empty when I’m finished spinning this. If you’re into the whole 80s/glam/pop-rock/synth-rock thing, then this should be something you might enjoy. However, if you’re after something you can bang your head to, air-guitar and air-drum to, then you have to look past this and take a look at my Cauldron-review.
www.metalreviews.com
First of all, the lead singer Marc Farrano has a very smooth and melodic voice. From the first listening you know what to expect; a classy
melodic rock album all the way, with cool melodies and big hooks all the way. Another strong point in this release is the guitar work. Really impressive and inspired riffs and solos! Highlights here? For sure it's pretty difficult to pick some songs as my favourites from "Faith Circus".
But if I had to choose these would be the ultra catchy "Tried And True", the opening track "Back On Love", with the catchy as hell chorus line
and a huge melody, the lush AOR tune of "Hold On" and the slower tune of "Rain On You". All the above songs are fine examples of pure melodic rock bliss!
Even if the production is not so good the whole album is very enjoyable and makes you wanna push the repeat button again and again!!
Some special guests here like Tony Harnell (background vocals) , Steinar Krokstad/drums (ex-Stage Dolls) and Morty Black/bass (ex-TNT).
Heavyparadise's rating: 8/10
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Faith Circus hail from Norway and frontman Marc Farrano has a very melodic and soulful approach to the singing.
This is classic style melodic rock all the way, with sweet harmonies and big hooks all the way.
Simply glorious are the anthemic Tried And True, the opening rocker Back On Love, the lush AOR of Hold On and the slower Rain On You.
The building ballad Half The Man is yet another highlight. The vocals that glide over the music are superb and thoroughly listenable.
But the whole package needed tightening up and a better mix.
And that is one of the great frustrations of working in this scene is hearing albums like this – chock full of cracking melodic hard rock
tunes that are really enjoyable, well written songs, but suffer from a less than amazing production.
That isn't the main point of this review, but it is frustrating when it happens, and it happens a lot.
The main problem here is a drum sound that lacks power and guitars that are too low in the mix generally.
But the songs…well, no complaints there and overall this remains an album to put on want lists due to the strength of the material.
Guests include Steinar Krokstad/drums (ex-Stage Dolls), Morty Black/bass (ex-TNT), Dag Stokke/keyboards (TNT), Tore Moren/guitar (Jorn), Steinar Hagen/acoustic guitar (Return) and Tony Harnell/background vocals (ex-TNT).
The Bottom Line
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Nothing not previously heard before here, but the vocals are a highlight and the old-school melodic rock sound is easy on the ears.
Songs are as catchy as they come and this is another quality debut. Better production next time around will put them into a
different league and almost untouchable!
Melodicrock.com's rating: 85% (songs 92% - sound 78%)