(Progressive Metal) 7th Circle - Collective Minds - 2000, MP3, 320 kbps

Let's face it. You're not going to be popular as an unknown. And isn't it frustrating for a band to put so much time and energy into a project only to find, that after awhile, that their work had, slowly but surely, come to a silent and inglorious ending, only to be stored away in a cardboard box and left behind somewhere in some corner of some basement. One feels compelled to take revenge after having to listen to all that lifeless and artificial crap on the radio, while the work of talented and committed musicians is threatened to lapse into misery and to disappear into complete anonymity in some God forsaken place.
Just ask the musicians of High Wheel, one of the best, contemporary prog-bands or, even closer to home, the guys of 7th Circle. Now that the ever so excellent "Unsummon" is fresh in our minds, the search for the musical evolution of this band (three years after the appearance of their "Collective Minds" CD) is going to be an extremely interesting task. It's no doubt that the 7th Circle of 2003 is a different band. Three years ago, and out of necessity, the band had to call upon Dirk Verbeuren as interim drummer (who, still to this day, is active in the French band, Scarve) while Peter Leppens left the group just before the release of the album. These are not ideal working conditions, but you don't notice that on "Collective Minds". It's not just that the songs are very well written, but that the sound quality of this album (just like "Unsummon") is, without a doubt, excellent, thanks to guitarist, Sam Oerlemans. After 10 months of meticulous work (something you can do if you've got your own home studio), you'll end up with a very well finished product.
Fans of a heavier sound can rest assured because "Collective Minds" is Belgian prog-metal of the highest calibre. The sober but beautiful intro of Sam Oerlemans (awesome oriental pattern on acoustic guitar) forms the prelude for "Broken Jar". It's a song that starts off calmly, but then completely bursts open as soon as Peter Leppens shows you his tonsils and the mighty guitar sounds of Oerlemans blow your mind (and your speakers). The song is very nicely built up and the balance between the louder and quieter passages is quite successful. Tony Lemmens, especially, knows how to use his keyboard to create the right chemistry. "Silent Sentence" is more of the same and contains several passages where the interaction between Lemmens and Oerlemans leads to a fantastic climax. Where it is that Oerlemans continues finding his sources of inspiration remains a mystery to me. His creativity and versatility seem limitless.
My personal favourite is "Black Feathers", a song that really sticks with you and pulls you along. This is where Tony Lemmens definitely shows himself and where Jasper Van Tilburgh mercilessly slaps his bass strings. Officially, at 6 minutes and 47 seconds, it's the longest song on the album. "The Road" is a two part song: the first part is controlled in its entirety by Sven Dupon on... didgeridoo! Barely 30 seconds later, the second part of the song snaps into action and it's a very strong song that seems perfectly written for... Winnie Versmissen, the current singer of 7th Circle. "Just A Dream" and "P(s)almreading" are not as good, but they offer extensive possibilities to fully enjoy the guitar work of Oerlemans. Let your CD continue playing after the last song, because there's a hidden track to be heard.
Look, it would be a crying shame not to give any attention to "Collective Minds". Even though the band today is following a different path, there are, in a musical aspect, several obvious similarities. The songs are recognizable and nicely structured and there's lots of attention given to the right balance between heavy and mellow passages (and these are even more successful on "Unsummon"). The melodic aspect of their music is always well nurtured. All these qualities are complete and present on "Collective Minds" and even more so on "Unsummon". Until now, this is the very best of what they have not yet heard in Vilvoorde!
Prog-Nose

Peter Leppens - vocals
Sam Oerlemans - guitars
Tony Lemmens - keyboards
Jasper Van Tilburgh - bass
Dirk Verbeuren - drums
******
Sven Dupon - digeridoo on 5