Battle Beast – Circus of Doom Review

There is nothing like one album after the other. There is nothing like letting the band speak for itself with another album. And, of course, there is nothing like being humble enough to admit one’s mistake. My dear fan may not have the better understanding right now. I’ll elaborate. A time time ago – please, never ask me when precisely – I had the opportunity of reviewing Battle Beast and I didn’t because I didn’t like the album – please, again, don’t ask me the name of the album. It doesn’t matter what my impressions were that time, what matters is that “Circus of Doom” changed it all. Maybe I was a bit cranky, maybe it was the album, maybe I just don’t know…

Well, Battle Beast joined with Metalite are part of a long but not gone tradition of Metal that many metallers should known better to forget. Ok, as you my dear fan decided to forget I’ll remind you the term: Heavy Pop or Poppy Metal or whatever. Yeah, that’s it. Features change slightly from band to band but they are extremely well fit to radio broadcast, or whatever this means nowadays. But one thing is for sure listening to “Where Angels Fear to Fly,” the combination of guitars and a dancing keayboard is more than notorious. It changes a little but believe me, all of them mix both. As you my dear fan knows I do like those lighter ersions of Metal music. Yeah, indeed I do. The combination mix goes with more angry vocals or more wraithful dilluted by the aforementioned keyboards and sticky choruses with some thundering basses and plastic, sometimes exciting, drumming. The doses of those elements vary a lot though. Always remember; the difference from the poison to the remedy is the dose. Nowadays the combination may go with Symphonic elements as Battle Beast do. Ok. Hold it.

Now, seriously. “Circus of Doom” really got me with the yell in the intro of “Wings of Light.” The kind of scream that comes from within. Not from the lungs, but from the guts. There’s nothing more Metal that this kind of howl believe me. And by the way, you my fan might not like it but Battle Beast had the courage of being different. “Wings of Light” does sound different and, why not, exciting. In fact, one can say many things about the band except they are more of the same. In addition to that, vocalist Noora Louhimo does a hell of voices in the album. From the harshest to the sweetest. No kidding. Listen to the sequence of “Freedom” to “Armaggedon” this one with harsher vocals than instrumentals. Long story short, Battle Beast nailed it with “Circus of Doom.” I really mean it.

Battle Beast “Circus of Doom” was released on January 21st via Nuclear Blast Records.

Track Listing:

  1. Circus of Doom
  2. Wings of Light
  3. Master of Illusion
  4. Where Angels Fear to Fly
  5. Eye of the Storm
  6. Russian Roulette
  7. Freedom
  8. The Road to Avalon
  9. Armageddon
  10. Place That We Call Home

Watch “Where Angels Fear to Fly” official video here: