Arctic Circle – Forcing the Astral
Canadians Arctic Circle take cues from the diverse styles of their country mates Revenge and Voivod, but don’t do justice to either. Their first full length on Profound Lore after three self-released demos, “Forcing the Astral” is touted (from the label information) as ‘upholding the ferocity of Canadian war metal, Canadian classic thrash, and the unforgiving bursts from bands such as Aura Noir and early Dodheimsgard’. Listening to the release, one definitely hears all of these influences clearly. However, whereas some bands are able to fuse these elements into a cohesive whole, Arctic Circle come across as confused and choppy. The two short instrumental interludes on “Forcing the Astral” are so abrupt as to be distracting. “A Little Bit of Climate” is especially so as it’s sandwiched between the end of one thrashing track and the beginning of another. Those who are into individual songs instead of whole albums will most likely find something they like here, as it encompasses so many subgenres. For those like me who listen to entire albums, this disc is not something to seek out. Combining multiple styles of metal is admirable – it’s too bad that lack of creativity and mediocre musicianship have turned it into a jumble that likely won’t please anybody. – Christine Lett
PROFOUND LORE
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