Band: Shadow Circus

CD Title: “Welcome to the Freakroom”

Band Website: www.shadowcircusmusic.com

Label: ProgRock Records

Label Website:www.progrockrecords.com

Release Date: 2007

 

Have you heard the one about the band that was a 15 year, overnight success? Well that may be overstating it a bit but it makes for a solid introduction to the new release from a band called Shadow Circus entitled Welcome to the Freakroom. The band’s founding member John Fontana has spent the last 15 years playing with a variety of bands in the New York City area and decided it was time he went back to his progressive rock roots with some demos. Coincidentally he found four other not only willing but enthusiastic accomplices and Welcome to the Freakroom was born.

 

Shadow Circus is made up of Fontana (guitar, keyboards), Cory Folta (drums), Matt Masek (bass, cello), Zach Tenorio (keyboards) and David Bobick (vocals). Interestingly, lead vocalist Bobick came to the band with a degree in Musical Theatre which lends itself quite nicely to the more theatrical aspects of the progressive rock genre. The music of Shadow Circus is thus infused with an added sense of mystery, drama and humor. It turns out to be a nice blend.

 

The six tracks on Welcome to the Freakroom are all around the six or seven minute length with the last track being a twelve minute three-part epic. These are melodic compositions filled to the brim with symphonic elements, majestic introductions and grand endings appear throughout the disc. Pieces will start off with huge crescendos and a flurry of musicianship, only to shift gears to lead into a softer interlude before actually launching into the song-proper. These compositions are also brimming with hummable melody. There is a wonderful blend of complexity with memorability. Many of the songs are built on repeating elements allowing the song to go through a variety of movements while still allowing it to return “home” so to speak to drive the central melody. Richly textured, with layers of keyboards we go from a dreamy symphonic atmospheres to guitar centered rock work-outs. Mellotron samples appear from time to time hearkening back to the early days of prog. But this in no way could be considered a retro sound. Shadow Circus is very modern band with a style that is distinctly their own. If you’re looking for a sonic reference point buried in the music you might hear a mix of the most progressive elements of bands such as Styx, Crack the Sky and early Spock’s Beard making this a truly unique American prog sound.  

 

I loved Shadow Circus! For me it has the perfect blend of accessibility and adventurousness. If you enjoy the music of the bands mentioned and would like yet another take on this aspect of the progressive rock genre I highly recommend you get a hold of a copy of Welcome to the Freakroom by Shadow Circus. This disc is loaded with some great sounds, great songs and great music. If there is any justice in the music world, Shadow Circus will become that 15-year in the making overnight success.