First forming in 2008, Finnish six-piece Battle Beast have always dealt in bombastic, heavily europop-infused power metal. From the very beginning they have taken liberal influence from both the grandiose symphonics of Nightwish and Within Temptation and the more straightforward melodic accessibility and song structure of fellow genre heavyweights Sabaton and Powerwolf. Sixth album Circus of Doom is no different in this respect; their newest ten track offering is a lean, punchy and immediate collection of power metal anthems.
The eponymous opening track gives a fair impression of the album as a whole, each and every song takes the form of a four minute banger built around earworm synth melodies, blistering solos and colossal sing-along choruses with lyrics firmly fixed within the realm of the fantastical. Whilst some numbers, such as single Where Angels Fear To Fly, tend more towards balladry and others, most notably Russian Roulette, are so poppy that they wouldn’t sound far out of place on the Eurovision stage the songwriting formula remains more or less the same throughout. Fortunately the quality is generally high enough and the 40 minute or so duration short enough that the album doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Having said that, as with most power metal artists, there is a copious and inherent level of cheesiness present that will surely be enough to repel anyone remotely po-faced.
The choruses do deserve special mention; practically every one of them manages to work its way into your head within one or two listens, and the melodic nous is elevated and propelled by the sublime performance of lead vocalist Noora Louhimo. Her passionate, operatic roar is doubtlessly the band’s most potent asset, bringing to mind the likes of Floor Jansen, Bruce Dickinson and Hansi Kursch.
There are some great riffs punctuating the album too, but the rhythmic aspects of the record are occasionally underserved by the synth-heavy mix, a pitfall that all too many contemporary power metal acts have fallen foul of. It’s a pity, as a couple of the poppier tracks begin to feel just a tad too Disney-fied in the absence of the aggression that would have been brought by a chunkier, meatier production style.
Whilst Battle Beast could be said to be sticking to the firmly established foundations of modern power metal, following in the footsteps of giants rather than blazing their own trail, they are doubtlessly very successful at accomplishing what they set out to do. Circus of Doom balances fun and catchiness with an epic and anthemic sensibility that will appeal to any fan of the genre. Power metal bands have been a fixture at the very top of festival bills across mainland Europe, and with the more prominent of their number now able to fill arenas in the UK, it’s not difficult to see the band climb the ranks off of the back of albums of this strength.