Wow, Velvet Revolver released two CDs on the same day under two different names!Okay, maybe that undermines what Circus Diablo has done, but there are more than a few similarities between the two acts. Both bands are super groups of sorts with at least part of their members rooted in 80s hard rock--in Circus Diablo's case, Billy Duffy and Billy Morrison of The Cult, and let's not forget Matt Sorum, ex-Guns'n'Roses, ex-The Cult, and currently playing for both Velvet Revolver and Circus Diablo. Rounding out the lineup are Brett Scallions, former vocalist of Fuel, and Ricky Warwick, formerly of The Almighty.
Maybe the copy from their website is actually the best way to sum up the band: "Take two parts The Cult, a pound of Almighty, a drop of Fuel, and beat it together with a little VR tossed in for good measure: the end result is Circus Diablo."
But I suppose I could say something more about the band and music than just comparing them to VR and spouting ad copy. This self-titled debut is chock-full o' uptempo hard rock tracks, with a strong feeling of the earlier roots of hard rock and less of the Nickelback/Puddle of Mudd, post-grunge/post-nu-metal school. Songs like the opener "Loaded" and "Restless" will be sure to get the party started at any show, while "Shine" and "Dignified" show that they haven't forgotten how to write ballads. I can't quite figure out "Commercial Break." A bizarrely-mixed guitar and sound washes along with a rant against commercialization and war, I guess.
In the end, there are some fun songs and some decent music, but nothing particularly praise-worthy or anything to make them stand out. Mostly a flavor of the week kind of thing. And don't get me wrong, I'd be thrilled to see the flavor of the week not be pop, emo, or so-indie-it-hurts. But there's nothing to really sink your teeth into otherwise. Not to make the obvious pun, but this is one circus that might not be invited back to town.
