Circa Survive Band • Page 26

yeah I mean I very respectfully disagree on that

 

Descensus is their 2nd best album to me by a good handful

 

Their two most recent albums are my least favorites from them but like, I still enjoy them more than I do most albums by most other bands. VW is a logical follow up to what they accomplished on BSN and Descensus is a great blend of the OLG spaciness and atmosphere with the grit and heaviness of the next two records.

Their discography is strong top to bottom.

 

the only weak thing about descensus is the production and really none of their albums have outstanding production so its whatever

 

agreed on that

 

*puts on anti-Will Yip hat*

despite me warming up to him after the new Balance and Composure, Eisley, and Menzingers, he's done nothing but make me lose interest in this band since BSN.

 

Dang I didn't realize there was so much hate for Circa post-OLG. I adore every record almost equally.

 

Only song on Descensus that I don't like is Always Begin

 

Totally agree that production has always been an issue back to Juturna. As much as I worship those first two albums, I would've given anything for the 10-year editions to be remixed/remastered.

I will say this, as one of those old school fans who puts Juturna and OLG a whole tier above the rest: the way I feel about the last three albums has changed considerably over time, and I'm still not settled. I initially thought VW was a rebound from BSN, but now I think it's my least favorite, which seems to be the overall consensus. With Descensus, my initial reaction was major disappointment and clearly putting it as their worst, but it grew on me quite a bit. Bottom line: my rankings of the last 3 have shuffled around a lot, and at the end of the day, they're all good to borderline great. I can put any of them on any day and legit enjoy them.

Unlike some bands where I can never really get over a major stylistic shift I don't agree with, I respect and continue to follow Circa's output post-OLG, even knowing my personal preference will always be the old stuff.

 

imaginary enemy might be my favorite, I felt free is my least favorite Circa Song

 

I've always thought Imaginary Enemy was great. Never knew it was so disliked among so many people! Certainly different from pre BSN Circa but that song still rips

I'm def in the club that misses Anthony's really clean vocals though. BSN was the perfect mixture of the weaving/soaring vocals and the more aggressive, raspy straightforward melodies. I have to wonder how much of it is due to his age as opposed to a completely intentional stylistic change.

 

the beginning of the chorus sounds like it goes out of key

 

Imaginary Enemy was one of the songs that got me into the band and I think it's a great straightforward rocker. Not the best on that album or among their catalog by any means but it's a respectable song.

 

Also the change in Anthony's vocal performance has never bothered me, but that could be attributed to the fact that I got into Circa about a year before VW came out and was already used to the grittier style he adopted on BSN. He's probably my favorite singer actively making music and I think whether he's doing an angelic run or a guttural yell he sounds fantastic. His rough vocals are better suited to their heavier stuff, anyways.

I think it's cool to see the varying and differing opinions here, though, even if I disagree with a lot of them. As long as we can all agree that this band is special we're good.

 

the clips from the studio of them writing the new album have me intrigued though I gotta say

 

thats the best one!

 

Always Begin is the best song on that album for sure

It's a good album

 

always begin before you're ever prepared.. terrible advice ha!

 

Oh man. Can't believe anyone thinks that is the best one.
Only the Sun takes the cake for me...then phantoms

 

"Only the Sun" is one of those rare flashbacks to the melodic sensibilities of the early days, so it's probably my favorite. Almost sounds like it could've been from the OLG sessions.

However, "Nesting Dolls" may well be the highlight of the record. It's a perfect example of the band succeeding wonderfully at an aesthetic and mindset miles removed from their origins, which is impressive.

 

Only The Sun is probably my least favorite from that album and Always Begin is my favorite.

Nesting Dolls is great but didn't do half as much for me until I saw it live

The part in Phantom that starts with "And in my head" is my favorite part and I wish it was repeated once more or something because it's so short that it almost feels out of place

 

Man oh man these later albums are so much more polarizing than the first 2.

 

descensus is the type of record other bands wished they could be make but couldn't.. its a fantastic album.. production gets muddy at times but also is great at times and works really well

 

listening to descensus now, love the 5/4 groove of child in the desert

 

I'm listening to Descensus right now too. I think the drums and bass on this sound amazing and lend it a real nice groove. The guitars and vocals do get a bit muddy at times, but that's typically when there's just so much going on in the song.

And I love "Child of the Desert", that ending gets me every time.