Cirkus are a Prog band formed in Sunderland, UK in 1973 from the ashes of Moonhead and with a long career and experience behind them. They are one of those bands that have gone through all the epochs of Prog music since the golden years, and have also maintained a musical quality that is always behind the times. Since 1974 they have released 6 studio albums, the latest of which “Page 12 (On The Right)” was released on April 30, 2021 via Ramshaw Records. The aggressive title track “Page 12 on the Right” opens the album, with rock guitar riffs and good keyboard weaves and symphonic overtures. “Angel” is softer and more harmonious, with a warm and expressive vocal and an atmosphere that takes us back to the 70s. The wind inserts are always precise and add quality to the song, delicate and with dreamy instrumental parts it is very pleasant. More rhythmic “Good News Week,” also has a deep bass line is a more Rock song, with refined and modern sounds, where hard riffs and melodic openings are mixed. “Alive” begins with a soft guitar arpeggio and the sound of the sea, then develops a theme with deep bass lines and a hypnotic synth. Good malgamation between the instruments and the central instrumental part with the keyboards in evidence, one of the best songs of the album. “Back & Fourth” the atmosphere becomes softer with a warm vocal and percussion and melodic interweaving of guitar and keyboard. A song with dreamy tones, but with a modern, flowing and enveloping sound. An arpeggio on the piano introduces us to “I’m With You” a sweet and melodic song, which flows pleasantly for all its more than 3 minutes. “One More Day” is a track that mixes Pop and Prog, but which does not increase the intensity compared to the previous song, also lacking a bit of incisiveness. The brilliance of the first songs seems to be waning. We have come to the longest track of the album “The Lure of Santa Monica,” which exceeds 9 minutes, and opens with a dark atmosphere and very close to Prog sounds. We are back at a high level, with interesting textures, good instrumental cuts and well-made tempo changes, making this one of the best tracks on the record. “So it Goes” is a shorter piece that alternates more intense moments and others less incisive in the first part, but in the development the intensity increases and the track improves. The album “Forever Tonight” closes with a soft final track with acoustic guitar and a more linear rhythmic session. Positive and cheerful melodies and with the last vocal stanzas the disc ends. A good listen for a band that has really ridden the decades and history of Prog and Rock music from the 70s to today. Smooth and pleasant, in the first part it has the most incisive songs in my opinion, while the longest track on the disc is one of the best for ideas and development. Congratulations to the band that always offers quality works.
Tracklist
| 01. | Page 12 on the Right | 03:06 |
| 02. | Angel | 04:49 |
| 03. | Good News Week | 03:12 |
| 04. | Alive | 04:51 |
| 05. | Back & Fourth | 04:26 |
| 06. | I’m With You | 03:32 |
| 07. | One More Day | 03:46 |
| 08. | The Lure of Santa Monica | 09:20 |
| 09. | So it Goes | 02:57 |
| 10. | Forever Tonight | 03:42 |
Lineup
| Dave Ramshaw | Vocals |
| Derek Miller | Keyboards & Programming |
| Alex Saxon | Sax |
| Rosie Prince | Flutes |
| Michael Maghan | Guitars |
| Nick Mao | Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard |
| Brian Morton | Bass |
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