Album Review: Circa Survive - 'Descensus'

It should be pretty clear by now that Circa Survive can essentially do no wrong. The band's back catalogue features an impressive range of solid records that have helped them to carve their own little niche that had built a devoted fan base. On the group's fifth album 'Descensus,' the group continues their tradition, while making a few little tweaks, as per usual, to let this album have its own personality.

The recording style feels a little more raw than some of the highly produced sounds of the past, especially on opener 'Schema', a deep bass driven track with room sounding verses and soaring chorus lines on which Anthony Green's amazing vocals do their thing. The track explodes while its melody cuts through the chaos providing something to hold onto while you ride out the experience. The group follows this up with the off kilter and quirky 'Child Of The Desert', a song that builds into a huge ending that lets Green get a little dirty with his vocal range.

One of the more interesting moments of the record is 'Nesting Dolls', which is predominantly instrumental and the record's longest track. The tendency to lean towards a more stretched out progressive rock sound is present in ways throughout the whole record, perhaps even its defining feature, however this track, in particular, embraces it fully, and really takes its time, building but never really exploding in an interesting twist.

The record closes out with the album's title track and 'Sovereign Circle', two songs that head back to slightly familiar territory with the individual band elements working at full force, Green's high pitched voice towering over solid bass lines, atmospheric but powerful guitars and drum patterns that toggle the line between complex and simple. The record's end is a reminder of all that came before and what is to possibly still come.

Circa Survive have done it again, another brilliant album that this time throws some nods towards progressive rock while maintaining the individuality and melody that we have all come to expect.

1. Schema

2. Child of the Desert

3. Always Begins

4. Who Will Lie With Me Now

5. Only the Sun

6. Nesting Dolls

7. Quiet Down

8. Phantom

9. Sovereign Circle

10. Descensus