Coming four years after their sophomore release Journey Blind, the latest and third effort from doom quintet Magic Circle, Departed Souls, is a throwback to classic heavy rock and doom, eerily reminiscent to Sabbath Bloody Sabbath era Black Sabbath with its use of heavy riffs and experimental arrangements. Their second release for acclaimed label 20 Buck Spin, Departed Souls features the current line-up of:
Brendan Radigan - Vox
Chris Corry - Guitar
Renato Montenegro - Guitar
Justin DeTore - Bass
Q - Drums
Between the twin guitar attack of Corry & Montenegro, plus the potent vocals from Radigan, Departed Sould gets off to a great start with the title cut and there's no looking back from there. An uptempo, crunchy rocker, "Departed Souls" makes way for "I've Found My Way to Die", another rousing, energetic rocker fueled by inventive riffing and dynamic rhythms. It's not till "Valley of the Lepers" that things slow down in typical doom fashion, Radigan delivering some early Ozzy styled vocal passages over beefy riffs and plodding drums, a catchy yet heavy track that will be an instant winner for all classic Sabbath fans. 12 string guitars, Mellotron, & tablas come out for the Led Zeppelin inspired "A Day Will Dawn Without Nightmares", a chilling, folky number that again shows off the vocal talents of Radigan, giving way to the rampaging "Nightland", complete with shuffling rhythms and a wealth of guitar thunder...Sabbath meets Zeppelin on this mighty track. The band pulls out some spooky Fender Rhodes electric piano for the moody "Gone Again", while closer "Hypnotized" is pure melancholy doom, the riffs gargantuan and the vocals soaring.
With excellent production and a lot of musical variety, Departed Souls is an excellent new release from Magic Circle, and a must hear for any fan of classic '70s styled hard rock & doom.
Track Listing
1. Departed Souls
2. I've Found My Way To Die
3. Valley of the Lepers
4. A Day Will Dawn Without Nightmares
5. Nightland
6. Gone Again
7. Bird City Blues
8. Hypnotized
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