Circle

The Dutch progressive rock outfit Cliffhanger released its fourth studio album, Circle, in March 2001, on its eighth birthday. This opus follows more commercial prog rock guidelines, but one should not forget that the band already had strong tendencies to resort to catchy melodies. Rinie Huigen's voice can recall Citizen Cain's singer (the opening line on "Port [Voyage of the Soul]" comes this close to plagiarism), but that is as far the Genesis influence will go. Gijs Koopman's Chris Squire-esque bass work is prominently featured on most of the tracks. On instrumental pieces like "The Birthday Party" and "Chateau Jam," the King Crimson influence rises to the surface, while on catchier tunes like "One-Track Mind," "Moving in Circles," or "Autumn," the band sounds somewhere between Marillion, 1980s Yes, and Norwegian prog rock group Fruitcake. Therefore, a general description of the album would have to lean toward neo-prog and emphasize on the song format. The melodies must be left a chance to grow on the listener for Circle to become truly enjoyable. Even then, it doesn't rise above the mass of prog rock records released each year, but some songs are definitely well-crafted following the standard rules of the genre. Nothing transcendental, but a strong, honest release nonetheless. ~ François Couture, Rovi