This self titled release is the debut album of the Spanish Circus and just like their compatriots from Mägo De Oz they prefer their lyrics to be completely in Spanish. Some of you probably already stopped reading right there but to the ones who are still with me, I can safely say that the Spanish lyrics fit the music perfectly (as is naturally the case with Mägo De Oz). They add an extra dimension to the music and even manage to create a certain exotic atmosphere.

The music on Circus is hard to describe and sounds like melodic metal with a gothic touch to it. Some of the riffs remind of Paradise Lost during their Draconian Times period, but a lot more mellow and with standard melodic metal vocal lines.

The combination sounds refreshing and works very well indeed. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Circus started out as Contradiction, a band that was influenced by bands like Bauhaus and Killing Joke. Only in 2002 they decided to change direction and renamed the band to Circus. Touches of newer Moonspell can also be heard in the music, yet Circus has succeeded in creating their own sound, which is quite a rarity these days.

If you like your metal melodic and not too straightforward this might be the cd for you. Don’t expect fast and furious power metal because Circus plays it mellow and laid back. A pleasant listening experience that brings back good memories from days gone by; at least for me.