Circuline – CircuLive – New View
This albums features a remarkable live performance from American symphonic progressive rock band Circuline at the Progstock festival in Rahway, New Jersey. The album is available as a 3-disc set with an audio CD and the video versions of the performance on DVD and Blu-ray discs.
The New York band is characterized by the masterful keyboards of Andrew Colyer and the skillful combination of female and vocals. The musical pieces, composed primarily by Colyer and the excellent drummer/keyboardist Darin Brannon provide a beautiful mix of memorable vocal sections and spectacular instrumental musicianship.
CircuLive contains pieces from its “Return” and “Counterpoint” studio albums. Circuline delivers high intensity progressive rock with fantastic epic progressions. Keyboardist Andrew Colyer treats the audience with improvisations and medleys that feature familiar melodies by some of the great progressive rock pioneers.
The band is outstanding. In addition to the masterful keyboard work, the rest of the musicians are all excellent as well. Lead guitarist Alek Darson impresses with his fine guitar licks (although I didn’t care much for his occasional hard rock riffing). Electric bassist and drummer Joel Simches plays stellar creative bass lines throughout the album. And Darin Brannon shows his versatility as both a drummer and keyboard player.
There are a lot of fun and entertaining moments throughout the album such as the “Piano Challenge” that combines original work with tributes to the great masters like Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman and classical composers as well.
In addition to Circuline’s finely-crafted original progressive rock, the band also performs the song “Pale Blue Dot,” a tribute to Sound of Contact.
The Circuline line-up on this album includes Andrew Colyer on keyboards, vocals, and percussion; Darin Brannon on drums and keyboards; Natalie Brown on lead vocals and percussion; William “Billy” Spillane on lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and percussion; Alek Darson on lead and rhythm guitars; and Joel Simches on bass, bass pedals, drums, and acoustic guitar.