I don't know how many Finnish bands have toured the States, but Circle, hailing from Pori is one of them and, as far as I know, the only one that performs both the music and the dialogue in Finnish.
Rakennus (2014) was recorded in Charlottesville, Virginia and is actually as close as you can get to a real live experience on record. You can literally hear the room. The murmur of the audience and sometimes even the musicians' communication on stage is continuously present. Lehtisalo's bass vibrates in Leppänen's snare drum. Westerlund's accents on the electric guitar strings can sometimes also be heard acoustically. Very intimate and authentic. As if they were playing in the living room with us.
Circle is a band that started in the early 1990s and quickly made a name for themselves in underground circles around the world. During their almost 30-year career, they have covered most music genres and can generally be described as avant-garde. The song selection during this tour or at least at this gig can be categorized as krautrock-inspired heavy metal, but filtered through the band's genuine filter and comes out on the other side as an alternative version of reality.
The extra number Kaappikellon Kummitus, Rättö describes as a beautiful little song in Mozart style. All in Finnish for an American audience. The overall experience is surreal to say the least.
I highly recommend checking out this band live. Until then - listen to them as much as you can. There is a large bank of material to choose from, even if what is available on the web is only a small part of what Circle has shared. And feel free to start with this album!
Genre: Alternative
Rating: 5.4 / 7