The Circle & The Blue Door

Sound DNA

• Rock

About

On the opening track, "Wake Up Sleepy Head," a crystalline acoustic guitar rings with the tones of "Stairway to Heaven," immediately evoking the mighty Zep at its prettiest. Soon a mellotron's wispy notes creep in, and singer and multi-instrumentalist Rosalie Cunningham starts casting a bewitching spell. "Can you hear the water, lapping at your bed?" she purrs. Along with Blood Ceremony and Uncle Acid, this English quartet is being cast as part of an occult-flavored (at least cosmetically) prog-metal genre, and Purson moves to the front of the class with this stellar outing. The instrumentation and musicianship is top-notch, with a blend of King Crimson–esque melodies, Black Sabbath's darkness, and Yes's orchestral tendencies that feels fresh. The band's own sinewy, psychedelic vision stitches it all together. Purson changes tempos and shapes the way its prog ancestors taught it on songs like "The Contact" and "Spiderwood Farm"; it travels to other astral planes in "Sailor's Wife's Lament." Here it's more fairy tales and English woods than pentagrams and fire. You can safely come aboard for the ride; it's pretty darn scenic.

via Apple Music

Tracklist

Credits