Review by Shannon Shumaker
Almost thirteen years after the release of their debut album, Juturna, Circa Survive are still turning heads and pushing musical boundaries – this time, with their incredibly well-balanced release, The Amulet. Dancing in between themes of fear, despair and the loss of innocence, which tie in not only with today’s political climate, but vocalist Anthony Green’s own personal growth as well, The Amulet provides listeners with a very honest release. But while things may seem very heavy lyrically, the stunning musical soundscapes on the album make for a very easy listen. Instead of feeling exhausted by the time The Amulet comes to an end, you feel fulfilled – maybe even enlightened.
The great thing about Circa Survive’s sound is their ability to take very real subject matter and twist it in a way that feels very magical and surreal. The band manages to easily weave both personal and political themes together with stunning, otherworldly imagery and beautiful instrumentals, and opening track, “Lustration” as well as “Premonition Of The Hex” a few songs later are great examples of this. “Lustration” builds anticipation, dropping you into this world that Circa Survive have crafted, and leaves you aching for more, hanging on every note. “Premonition Of The Hex” then explores themes of seeking the truth and breaking away from a toxic situation, all over stunning instrumentals.
The second song, “Never Tell A Soul” is where Circa really shine. The gritty bass tone in this track takes the forefront while catchy guitar hooks and high energy drumming work well together. Tying the song together is an eerie underlying tone and Anthony Green’s hauntingly beautiful vocals. Aggressive screams contrast amazingly with stunning cleans, depicting the balance between light and dark on this track.
Keeping with his dark, haunting tone is “At Night It Gets Worse,” which chronicles the emotional turmoil that comes along with feelings of fear and isolation. “At Night It Gets Worse” is easily one of the darkest songs on The Amulet, but despite the heavy subject matter, there are still slivers of light peppered throughout the vocals and guitar work. The next song, “Stay” then picks up the pace a bit with wild guitar, providing a bit of balance after such an emotionally heavy song.
Another highlight on The Amulet is the following song, “Rites Of Investiture.” This ambitious track showcases each instrument’s strength while lyrically, it is a reflection of the harsh world that children are thrown into as they begin to grow up. Chaotic instrumentals make for the perfect backdrop to this theme.
The stripped down second to last song, “Flesh and Bone” is heartbreakingly beautiful and is followed only by the perfect closer, “The Amulet.” The final track provides the perfect conclusion to this heavy album, acknowledging head-on how ugly the world is (and even how ugly we are sometimes) but instead of focusing on the dark, it looks for the light. “The Amulet” is a promise to keep moving forward, layered on top of spectacular songwriting, a pulsating bass line, chaotic guitars and driving drums.
Although it isn’t necessarily a concept album, The Amulet certainly has an underlying theme of challenging head-on the ugliness of the world we live in. With vivid imagery, surreal instrumentals and an incredible vocal performance from Anthony Green, this album is well worth quite a few listens, just to fully appreciate everything that has gone into it. The second you hit play, you’re instantly transported into another world and Circa Survive refuse to let go until the album’s very last song.
LISTEN TO: “Never Tell A Soul” or “The Amulet”
STAY CONNECTED WITH CIRCA SURVIVE: https://www.facebook.com/CircaSurvive/