Review by Adam M on March 29, 2016.

Magic Circle plays a traditional take on heavy metal. This is old school music to the bone with screeching vocals and catchy guitar riffs. There is a penchant for the classic style of music to be found with what Magic Circle performs.

The guitar licks remain memorable because they are performed with a gleaming accuracy. This leads to a very easy to digest style that is a perfect fit for the present style of music being performed on the scene. With a short running time, this album is quick in making its impact and carries that through to all aspects of the release. The music is melodic and powerful and cuts through the environment like a knife. It has enough presence to hold the listener’s interest for a long period of time. The problem with this music is the too typical style it portrays. There isn’t enough of an attempt to make for innovative displays present. It also has such a short running length that one has to question whether the band could have drawn things on a little bit longer. Regardless, the grooves are very addictive in a Sabbath-esque manner that is a wonder to behold.

Though the music is traditional doom at its core, there are tendencies that make it seem like a traditional heavy metal album at times. This is a good problem to have, however, because fans of both sub-genres should find something to enjoy on this album. It also leads to a classic metal album that can be linked only to the older days of metal and still have enough of an impact with more specificity. All of the tracks are pretty strong, but a standout is “Grand Deceivers” with its largely Sabbath influenced guitar riffs. Journey Blind is a good album, but it’s not the best classical styled metal one out there.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10