Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
People say that bands have forgotten how to punch a song out with fierce gusto; like a prize fighter living on former glories and memories of taking down the one hit wonders who challenge with futility the king of the ring in his heyday, but who could now deliver From The Wreckage a stunning victory and knockout blow.
However, when your symphonic sound is inspired by the gods of rock, Queen, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, and a whole host of fellow brethren and companions in music, then then the arbitrary feelings of some are shown to be rightfully misplaced, shown to be an effect of untruth and uncool emotions; for as with a prize fighter down on their luck, there will always be one more round in them which will upset the baying negative crowd and the punters banking on a home loss.
Star Circus could be seen as kicking starting a new rebellion in the genre, as with Blues and Punk, the cycle of Rock has undergone dramatic shifts, but its personality has always been welcome, always clear and near indestructible, and as the invigorating early recording from the band revitalises the mind and the soul, so From The Wreckage is to be seen as the clearest indication yet that there is not only life in the genre, but it is willing to go toe to toe with anyone who campaigns against it.
Led by Dave Winkler and Sophie Aurelia, Star Circus is a moment of discovery, an invigoration for the senses, and a positive reminder of overcoming adversity is but a step to the musical ambition becoming stronger, undaunted, and fiercely held.
Perhaps aptly named, From The Wreckage doesn’t just rock, it shakes the apathy of those with other agendas, those not strictly aligning with the ethos the band, and grinds them to dust, exposes them to the machinery of the mind and sees in return a towering statue created by Star Circus take shape.
Across tracks such as Chained To You, Turn The Tide, Masquerade, the dominating Last Dance, and the finale of Two Odds Make An Even, Dave Winkler and Sophie Aurelia create havoc and brilliance in equal measure, not content with taking down the smug and ineffectual, they rally all the cause of keeping the genre alive and relevant as we approach the new styled 30s in the distance, a decade which promises musical confusion and declared non-human authorship if we permit it.
A cracking, thumping album from a grand pair working towards rock royalty.
Ian D. Hall