Band:	Circle II Circle
Album:	The Middle Of Nowhere
Style:	Progressive heavy metal, Progressive power metal
Release date:	March 29, 2005
A review by:	Jeff

01. In This Life
02. All That Remains
03. Open Season
04. Holding on
05. Cynical Ride
06. Hollow
07. Psycho Motor
08. Faces in the Dark
09. The Middle of Nowhere
10. Lost
11. Watching In Silence [live] [bonus]

For the ones who don't know it yet, Circle II Circle is the new band of Mr Zak Stevens ex-singer of Savatage [1992-2002]. After their first album "Watching In Silence" [2003], they're back this year with their last release "The Middle Of Nowhere" through the German label AFM records. Actually I saw them live last year at the Graspop in Belgium and I was a bit disappointed because it wasn't bad but not really addictive, a bit boring? With this new album, we will know then if it was only a bad feeling or a reality, and unfortunately I think that my feeling was right?

Don't misunderstand me, this album is not a bad release, at the opposite. Zak Stevens is a great singer, certainly one of the best of the Heavy Metal category but his compositions on this album really lack of punch. There is a lot of ballads on this album, like "Lost" or "In This Life" and the songs which are (should be ?) a bit heavier actually lack of punch. That's some nice and beautiful songs but something is missing in my opinion and we don't have a lot of killer songs? Only the ballads can be considered like some potential hits, the other tracks are ok but just a bit common not really new?

This time I think that the band is a bit less influenced by Savatage, that's really better in comparison with their first album, and the drastically line-up change is certainly one of the reasons of this amelioration. Let's just hope that Zach Steven (even if I understand that it is not really easy) will break one day for ever the bridge with his past band. At the difference of "Watching In Silence" we can't have this feeling of similarity every time and at least this album has some more personality but for sure, the band still can improve on this point (they must follow this way like they did already with this album).

Also the production is definitely better this time. The recording and mixing work are good and that's a good thing when you know the first album. The cover is not bad too, a bit classic (Matrix fans ?) but it's ok. Actually the album, as I said before, is not bad but just lacks of punch and that's just really classic not really new. That's good and well done, but nothing more and some of you will find it a bit boring I think?

The 2nd album of "The Middle Of Nowhere" is better than the first one but they will have to put some "fire" in their composition if they really want to catch a bunch of fans.
If you're a fan of this excellent singer or if you want some beautiful ballads, this album is for you, but if you was disappointed by their first release, you should listen to "The Middle Of Nowhere" it before. You'll see that's better but not perfect one more time, but this time and that's the difference between their first, I'm sure that this band will do something in the future? if they really want it?