EP Review: Circle of Sighs – URSUS (Suspirium Tactile Goods)

Circle of Sighs is a Los Angeles-based, fluxus/actionist metal collective. Its ranks include jugglers, mimes, puppeteers, animators, performance artists, and musicians. ‘URSUS’ is a five-song concept EP about a bear that ingests ayahuasca and melds consciousness with a trans-dimensional being. It is the fifth release from Circle of Sighs and the follow-up to its 2023 live LP, ‘Circle of Sighs Performs an Invocation’. ‘URSUS’ will be released on July 19th, 2024, via Suspirium Tactile Goods.

If this is your first experience of Circle of Sighs, then chances are you’re going to come away absolutely flabbergasted by this release. It can’t be understated just how unique this band/collective is and while a term like ‘avant-garde’ might be overused these days, there are few experiences that exemplify it so perfectly. Circle of Sighs are a bunch of f**king weirdos, creating some of the most maddening music ever, and doing it in such a lovable way. You might not get URSUS, but you will come away mightily impressed.

Black metal crossed with jazz, sprinkled with theatre-style aspects that tell you that however insane Circle of Sighs might sound on record, live is no doubt even more mind-boggling. This EP features five vivid and vibrant examples of conceptual insanity and one highly creative cover of a Cardiacs song (Horsehead).

The immersion offered up here is staggering. Especially when you remember that this is an EP. The limited length means nothing though when replay after replay is all anyone is doing. Circle of Sighs don’t just walk the line between genius and madness, they’re parading down it with insane grins on their faces. It’s captivating and near impossible to not fall in line and join the manic party.

Circle of Sighs – URSUS Track Listing:

1. URSUS 1
2. URSUS 2
3. URSUS 3
4. URSUS 4
5. URSUS 5
6. Horsehead (Cardiacs Cover)

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