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The Tenth Circle has maintained a relatively small-scale profile in their brief existence, but Of War And Reflection sounds like the output of a seasoned, well-oiled metal band. Featuring former (and largely reformed) How It Ends vocalist Ross Whitecavage and drummer Tim Yeung (of Hate Eternal and Vital Remains, among others), the band seems poised to break out of their local, Pennsylvania metal scene; Of War And Reflection has the potential to spark that process.
Exchanging artsy creativity and blatant melodies for sheer intensity and a continuous bombardment of guitar riffs, The Tenth Circle sticks to thrash-oriented, high-speed death metal throughout Of War And Reflection. The album is virtually 41 minutes of chunky, brisk guitar riffs, blastbeats, mid-ranged screams, and the occasional mid-paced groove. Although the entire package is precise and well-played, Yeung's busy, menacingly fast drumming takes the spotlight and ultimately gives The Tenth Circle a massive increase in energy. Guitarists Ross Gerson and Dave Moody don't pen the most memorable guitar riffs I've heard, but some (I'm partial to the main riff in "Oblivion") stand out and they generally are effective.
The Tenth Circle is an instrumentally sound group of musicians, but my taste admittedly yearns for some additional variety. For the most part, the 11 songs on Of War And Reflection stick to a similar formula of metallic elements, and fail to explore much unexpected ground. Intentional or not, this album generally follows long-standing standards of metal. There are some scattered hints of variation, especially during "In The Name Of," which uses a distinctly mid-paced tempo and crafty guitar melodies.
Of War And Reflection was recorded with well-known producer Eric Rachel and mastered by Alan Douches, both of which are indicators -- in this case, accurate indicators -- of a thick, crisp sound. The album sounds good, and the songs are tasteful heaps of metal; what will dictate whether one enjoys The Tenth Circle is their ability to appreciate straightforward, no-frills death metal.
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