• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

May 2025

• The Flower Kings: Love
• Maestrick : Espresso Della Vita: Lunare

March 2025

• W.E.T.: Apex
• Alliance: Before Our Eyes
• Ginevra: Beyond Tomorrow
• Phil X & The Drills:
  Pow! Right In The Kisser
• IQ: Dominion
• Heart Line: Falling Heaven
• Gotthard: Stereo Crush
• Defender: Dying To Live
• Streetlight: Night Vision

February 2025

• Robin McAuley: Soulbound
• Perfect Plan: Heart Of A Lion
• Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
• Mantric Momentum: Alienized
• Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
• Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
• Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
• Dream Theater: Parasomnia
• Tyran: Tyran's Oath
• Saber: Lost In Flames

January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
• The Ferrymen: Iron Will
• Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
• Bonfire: Higher Ground
• The Big Deal: Electrified
• Landfall: Wide Open Sky

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

[ More Music Reviews ]

Fourth Circle: Elements

Symphonic Power Metal

3.0/5.0

Website Facebook Twitter YouTube
Massacre Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 27.10.2016

"What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun." So said the wise King Solomon. It may sum up, at the start, the latest and second album, Elements, from French female-fronted symphonic power metal band Fourth Circle.

Fourth Circle

Even the description "female-fronted symphonic power metal band" tells you everything you need to know about Fourth Circle and their sound. Shall we discuss the proper elements? An operatic female vocalist. Brisk riffage, heavy at times. Necessary soaring guitar solos. A rhythm section which can move from moderation to gallop. And, of course, the sin qua non of the genre: large, bombastic and encompassing, orchestral arrangements. It's all here, as you would and should expect.

Can you say Nightwish? Epica? Within Temptation? Sirenia. Fourth Circle is in good company. The question is, are they offering anything different or extraordinary then their peers? Nope. Not really. Did anything or any song stand out? Not so much. Was anything a disappointment? My expectations were low.

With Elements, Fourth Circle offers quintessential and well-crafted, yet equally predictable, female-fronted symphonic power metal. Same style of music, just a different band and album. If you like this style of music, by all means indulge yourself. Enough words have been sacrificed at the altar of verbosity in this review.

Fourth Circle - No Music Video Available

Share This Review with Your Friends

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With Elements, Fourth Circle offers quintessential and well-crafted, yet equally predictable, female-fronted symphonic power metal. Same style of music, just a different band and album. If you like this style of music, by all means, indulge yourself.

Alphabetical Index

Here's a fun fact about Swiss legends, Gotthard: their last 16 releases, excepting their debut album, went to number one in their home country, making them one of Switzerland's most successful acts and ... [ Read More ]