Review by Krys on April 14, 2002.

I have to admit I’m a little embarrassed by the fact that “Flesh_Power_Dominion” is my first encounter with this great band. You all know that saying “Don’t judge the book by its cover”? Well, me too, but somehow it wasn’t the case with Callenish Circle. A long time ago a friend mentioned them to me but I let it slip and finally, a year ago when I saw their last album “Graceful... Yet Forbidding” I simply didn’t buy it because of the cover! To justify my sins I can only say I didn’t know what style of metal they’ve been playing and thrash/death metal bands don’t put chicks with swords on their covers (or at least what I thought)! With so much power metal out there I simply didn’t have any intentions of buying another copy of Halloween or listen to yet another set of melodies that lack balls.

Expecting power metal and still having that warrior chick image in my head, I rolled “Flesh_Power_Dominion” and imagine my surprise when first notes from ‘Obey Me’ went through my head. I was shocked, and not only because it wasn’t the style I expected, but mostly because of the excellent version of melodic death/thrash that this Dutch outfit produces. Melodic, yet very aggressive and with edgy lyrics, the opener sets the tone for following tracks until ‘Bleeding’ where Callenish Circle steps back a little giving me some breathing room and time to put my stunned jaw back into place. With ‘Your Final Swansong’ they strike back brutalizing the listener with powerful guitars, varied tempos, breakdowns, well-thought arrangements and top class musicianship. If their own songs were not enough, they throw in a cover of Death’s ‘Pull the Plug’ that is so good it would make Chuck Schuldiner proud. Brilliant! It might be the best Death tribute I’ve heard!

One of the things that sets Callenish Circle apart from the rest of the crowd are the vocals of Patrick Savelkoul. Rather than only screaming like most of his peers do, he operates on the edge of death and black metal adding a very refreshing touch to the very overused and repetitive vocal style. While not being the most original band out there Callenish Circle manages to mix melodies with aggression remarkably well and many of today’s tops Gothenburg style playing bands would love to have this set of tracks under their own discography. If you enjoy melodic but technical brutal death metal you can’t miss “Flesh_Power_Dominion”.

Bottom Line: Don’t make this same mistake I did and don’t let this great band slip through unnoticed. Definitely a classic among the melodic death/thrash releases of 2002.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 7
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 10
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Allan on March 25, 2002.

Before releasing their next record, “A Night At The Opera”, Blind Guardian treated us to this two song EP. I won’t say much more about the second track, 'Harvest of Sorrow', except that it is a good track. But the real reason you want to listen to this EP is because of the song 'And Then There Was Silence'. This is one of the most ambitious pieces of music that the band has ever written!

Some of you may have preferred early Blind Guardian where there were humungous solos, but with the later Blind Guardian, especially this track, they have grown in the ability to create a well-rounded and well-structured song. With its seamless transitions through all 14 minutes, ‘And Then There Was Silence’ is full of huge choruses, rich vocal harmonies, excellently keyboards, and many other things. When I say huge choruses, I mean it! These are tremendous! The song takes you through a plethora of emotions that can sometimes be too much to handle, but I love it! Hansi’s vocals are sung with so much strength and courage. He is the best vocalist in the power metal scene, and I stand by what I say. “And Then Their Was Silence” showcases that band at their strongest as musicians and songwriters yet.

Bottom Line: An epic adventure and preview of 2002’s “A Night At The Opera”. An excellent EP for fans of Blind Guardian, but since it is an EP, probably not something to get unless you hated the rest of “A Night At The Opera” or are a collector of all things Blind Guardian.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 10
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Krys on December 12, 2001.

How many clones of Helloween have you heard this year? Don’t remember? Well, me too. Too many to even bother thinking about and that’s why with the biggest pleasure I introduce to you a preview of Blind Guardian’s next full-length album “A Night at the Opera”, a single - “And Then There Was Silence”.

I usually don’t review singles but since Century Media made an exception and released one I feel a little obligated to comment on their effort. Even though it’s just 18 min. of music plus a video, it’s some of the most satisfying minutes of power-heavy metal I’ve heard this year.

The 14 minute title track embodies everything that’s unique about this band. Outstanding production, prodigious music structures, monumental choirs and top class musicianship, everything perfectly arranged into an epic-size song. It’s like a ship during stormy weather, a non-stop journey from the bottom to top of the a mammoth wave where every crescendo is branded by a chorus that is just an incredible display of multi-layered vocals that create such a magical atmosphere you can only imagine in the best music operas around the world. After fatiguing you with such a journey, the serene classic guitar on ‘Harvest of Sorrow’ will ease your mind and transpose you to a lonely island to calm your nerves.

The closing video, 'Born in a Mourning Hall' is a perfect end to a great preview of Blind Guardian’s new album and for those of us who never had a chance to see them live, it is a mesmerizing introduction to the band’s live abilities.

Bottom Line: If the full-length, “A Night at the Opera” that most probably will see the light in February of 2002, is at least as good as the two tracks on this single then I suggest you start saving your gringos ‘cause you can’t afford to miss this release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Review by Allan on March 25, 2002.

Before releasing their next record, “A Night At The Opera”, Blind Guardian treated us to this two song EP. I won’t say much more about the second track, 'Harvest of Sorrow', except that it is a good track. But the real reason you want to listen to this EP is because of the song 'And Then There Was Silence'. This is one of the most ambitious pieces of music that the band has ever written!

Some of you may have preferred early Blind Guardian where there were humungous solos, but with the later Blind Guardian, especially this track, they have grown in the ability to create a well-rounded and well-structured song. With its seamless transitions through all 14 minutes, ‘And Then There Was Silence’ is full of huge choruses, rich vocal harmonies, excellently keyboards, and many other things. When I say huge choruses, I mean it! These are tremendous! The song takes you through a plethora of emotions that can sometimes be too much to handle, but I love it! Hansi’s vocals are sung with so much strength and courage. He is the best vocalist in the power metal scene, and I stand by what I say. “And Then Their Was Silence” showcases that band at their strongest as musicians and songwriters yet.

Bottom Line: An epic adventure and preview of 2002’s “A Night At The Opera”. An excellent EP for fans of Blind Guardian, but since it is an EP, probably not something to get unless you hated the rest of “A Night At The Opera” or are a collector of all things Blind Guardian.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 10
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10

Review by Krys on December 12, 2001.

How many clones of Helloween have you heard this year? Don’t remember? Well, me too. Too many to even bother thinking about and that’s why with the biggest pleasure I introduce to you a preview of Blind Guardian’s next full-length album “A Night at the Opera”, a single - “And Then There Was Silence”.

I usually don’t review singles but since Century Media made an exception and released one I feel a little obligated to comment on their effort. Even though it’s just 18 min. of music plus a video, it’s some of the most satisfying minutes of power-heavy metal I’ve heard this year.

The 14 minute title track embodies everything that’s unique about this band. Outstanding production, prodigious music structures, monumental choirs and top class musicianship, everything perfectly arranged into an epic-size song. It’s like a ship during stormy weather, a non-stop journey from the bottom to top of the a mammoth wave where every crescendo is branded by a chorus that is just an incredible display of multi-layered vocals that create such a magical atmosphere you can only imagine in the best music operas around the world. After fatiguing you with such a journey, the serene classic guitar on ‘Harvest of Sorrow’ will ease your mind and transpose you to a lonely island to calm your nerves.

The closing video, 'Born in a Mourning Hall' is a perfect end to a great preview of Blind Guardian’s new album and for those of us who never had a chance to see them live, it is a mesmerizing introduction to the band’s live abilities.

Bottom Line: If the full-length, “A Night at the Opera” that most probably will see the light in February of 2002, is at least as good as the two tracks on this single then I suggest you start saving your gringos ‘cause you can’t afford to miss this release.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.4 out of 10