Detailed Reviews [Flying Circus - 1997 - "Seasons"]

Prolusion. German band Flying Circus have a history that goes back to 1990, and in 1997 the band was ready with their debut album "Seasons". A remastered version of this album was made available in 2022 as a part of a package that also contained a rerecorded version of the album.

Analysis. Flying Circus describes themselves as a band that have their roots in both hard rock and progressive rock, and the contents of their debut album verifies that this is a statement very true about the band at least as far as the music on this album is concerned. It is also music that should appeal just as much towards a hard rock interested audience as it would to those with a fascination for progressive rock. Just about all the compositions here will twist and turn between two or more distinctly different moods and modes, often with verse and chorus sections alternating in general style and intensity and usually with one or more instrumental parts taking left turns into different territories as well. Catering quite nicely for the progressive aspect of the material, at least as far as structure and approach is concerned. The different orientations tend to stick closer to a rock and hard rock style though, with a bit of psychedelia added in for good measure. For the sake of this album with the 1970's set clearly in sight. Following an interesting and intriguing opening tune, that to my ears might be described as a more hard rock oriented variety of good, old Eloy, this album took up a sound and an approach that gave me one distinct association throughout, and then due to the lead vocals. Vocalist Dorp has a high pitched voice with an emotional delivery, at times sounding a bit like Geddy Lee, but first and foremost he tends to have a mode of delivery and a use of tone and timbre reminding rather closely of one Robert Plant on this album. And with 1970's hard rock as a defining feature of this album in general...well..it shouldn't be a bombshell that Led Zeppelin comes cruising in the associations department just about now. That we have many songs playing around with gentler escapades broken up by tight and expressive guitar riffs and soloing, folk and world music elements are brought in in the guitar as well as the rhythms department, guitar riffs with a bit of an exotic timbre, electric piano and subtle supporting keyboard layers, and a little bit of psychedelic rock impulses too...all of these elements will be familiar to fans of Led Zeppelin, and with emotional expressive vocals on top with a high pitched delivery with a bit of vibrato, we are in the heartland of the kind and the type of music Led Zeppelin made, at least when venturing a bit into their career. While there are other impulses at play, compositions with more of a progressive rock orientation than Led Zeppelin usually had and interludes and left turns that does add a bit more to the table too, the vocals in combination with multiple passages exploring similar sounding landscapes to Led Zeppelin ultimately makes my mind associate a lot with Led Zeppelin here. That being said, and as already indicated, Flying Circus isn't a band out to replicate that band. They use similar elements and building blocks, albeit kicking out a bit more of the blues foundations, but they also expand these songs into territories where Plant and company never ventured. Hence this is an album in a similar vein and of a similar nature to a much greater degree than a replication of the sound, mood and style of the legendary British band. But there are similarities, and in this case of an intriguing and captivating nature. It should be noted that the mix and production isn't the very best on this album. As I'm listening to the newly remastered edition the sound is better here, and presumably much improved over the original album, but you can hear that the recording conditions weren't ideal. Not to the point of being a detrimental element, but to the point that this probably isn't the album to pick out for an audiophile experience on a high end stereo. Competent is probably a good word to use here.

Conclusion. "Seasons" is an album that probably should have been released in 1977 rather than 1997 as far as the style, mood and atmosphere is concerned. This is hard rock Led Zeppelin style at the core, with the compositions being more expansive and oriented in a progressive rock direction to some extent, but with multiple similarities of the kind that makes a Led Zeppelin association something of an automatic reaction, with the lead vocals further emphasizing this aspect of the total experience. A band and an album made in a similar mold as mid 1970's Led Zeppelin if you like, a bit more progressive in spirit and perhaps not quite as similar sounding as the vocals initially makes you think. Still, I think many Led Zeppelin fans will appreciate what this album has to offer, alongside fans of well made 70's style of expressive hard rock with a bit of a progressive swagger.

Progmessor: October 2022
The Rating Room