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CIRCUS OF POWER
Four
The ILS Group 2017

NYC’s CIRCUS OF POWER are one of those acts that were criminally overlooked by the mainstream hard rock scene. CIRCUS OF POWER could go toe to toe with GUNS N' ROSES, THE CULT and the like. The debut album Circus Of Power (1988) featured fan favorites “White Trash Queen”, “Call Of The Wild” and “Motor”. The latter two received regular airplay on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball and gave the band a nice pop.

The follow-up Vices (1990) didn't get nearly the amount of attention, it wasn’t as strong of an effort though. The next album found CIRCUS OF POWER moving from the not so ‘rock friendly’ RCA Records to Columbia Records for Magic And Madness (1993). That album featured help from friends Jerry Cantrell from ALICE IN CHAINS and THE CULT’s Ian Astbury. How's that for credibility? In spite of hits “Heaven & Hell” and “Mama Tequila”, the record stiffed. When 1995 rolled around Alex Mitchell and Co closed shop and the mighty CIRCUS OF POWER was no more.

In 2014 Mitchell put together a ‘revamped' CIRCUS OF POWER and played a few gigs. The chemistry was there and the creative juices began to flow. At the close of 2017 CIRCUS OF POWER will release Four, which picks up where the band left off when they shut things down. Four is an adulterated, gritty, driving, rock ‘n' roll record. Sure, it isn’t going to set the world on fire, but those that remember and enjoyed CIRCUS OF POWER will appreciate the new music. With 14 songs Four is a tad too long. The album could easily be whittled down to 9 or 10 tracks and it would have made for an even stronger effort. Nonetheless, the standouts are “Fast And Easy” (video on KNAC.COM HERE), “Hard Drivin’ Sister” and “Hot Rod Girls”. Any of the mentioned songs possess the streetwise swagger of the band’s classic material.

3.0 Out Of 5.0