Album Review: Circa Survive- Violent Waves

Circa Survive's Blue Sky Noise was an important moment in the band's career for many reasons: it was the band's debut on a major label, and as the band admitted during interviews, there was a time that the band thought the album was never going to be finished, and the band were going to call it quits. However, the band never faltered, and released the best album of their career. Still, with the music industry in the state of decay we all know it to be in, the band found themselves stuck in a difficult situation to navigate: they were just coming off of their most well-rounded release of their careers, sold out nearly every date of a headlining tour, and still hadn't done enough to impress Atlantic Records enough for the label to keep the band. Without a label to call home, Circa Survive decided to make yet another important decision for their immediate future, and possibly the rest of their careers as musicians: seemingly still at the top of their game, Circa Survive have cut ties with any and all record labels, and self-released their new album Violent Waves.

Bands have begun to self-release albums for a myriad of reasons in the recent years: some do it as a last-gasp effort to remain relevant in the scene, others do it to explore side projects in between the touring/recording cycles of their full-time bands, and the rest probably do it because they haven't been picked up by a label at all yet. So why would Circa Survive, on the heels of their definitive album, choose to go the route of the self-release? If Violent Waves is any indication of the band's thought process, the answer is simple: Circa Survive's uncompromising vision is too unique and multi-faceted to be contained, influenced, or altered by anyone, even themselves. Violent Waves is a self-released, self-produced epic that takes the listener on a journey through the band's most creative album ever. 

Opening boldly with the seven-minute "Birth of the Economic Hit Man," Violent Waves turns any expectations you'd have for it on its head immediately. Anthony Green's voice has always been the trademark of the band's work, but "Hit Man" shows the band behind Green building upon each other for a solid 40 seconds before he sings a note. The chorus of "Hit Man" finds Green thinking back on his own opinions on life, singing "We've become everything we criticize... nothing is sacred," soaring over Brendan Ekstrom and Colin Frangicetto's elaborate and pummeling guitars. Drummer Steve Clifford, often overlooked for his contributions, drives the song's second verse home, while Nick Beard provides the bass lines that drive the song into the upper echelon of some of Circa Survive's best songs. It's no wonder that "Birth of the Economic Hit Man" the working title of "Epic" when they were recording Violent Waves, because that's exactly how it feels, and it's only the beginning. 

Up next is "Sharp Practice," a song that finds the band analyzing the way in which music is so readily accessible to the masses in today's internet-driven scene, telling the listener, "It's up to you to make sense of it." The track is one of the faster on the album, and moves quickly into "Suitcase," which provides a stark contrast to its predecessor. The song builds slowly, relying on Beard and Clifford to drive the track, and Anthony Green's croon doesn't ever reach his higher register, but the song keeps building and building into a track that is one of Circa's slower songs, but one of their most gripping. 

"Suitcase" also features a new wrinkle, featuring vocals from Rachel Minton from Zolof the Rock and Roll Destroyer (a former Anthony Green project), and she accents Green wonderfully through the second verse. In addition to Minton's additions, Circa Survive enlist another infamous frontman on Violent Waves, and one listen to "The Lottery" will prove that the guest spot is one of the best in recent memory. The chorus features Greens patented high-pitched notes, which are complimented perfectly by the sweeping vocals of none other than Geoff Rickly of Thursday. "The Lottery" shines with "Birth of the Economic Hit Man" as the highlights of Violent Waves, as the former features the album's best guitar work, and the welcomed (albeit unexpected) addition of Rickly sets it apart in a class all its own. 

When compared to the urgency and energy of Blue Sky Noise, Violent Waves is a much slower album, focusing more on precision and flow as opposed to the loud, boisterous anthems like "Glass Arrows" or "Imaginary Enemy" that made Blue Sky Noise such an instant success with fans. Violent Waves is an album that takes its time a little more, and eventually wins over listeners with its depth. Tracks like "My Only Friend" and "Brother Song" seem like they would have fit in perfectly on the band's debut full-length debut Juturna, but now that the band have developed so much since then, they are able to capture the indie stylings of Juturna with the accessibility of Blue Sky Noise to give fans the clearest portrait of the band they want to be to date. Picking up the pace with "Bird Sounds," there's still plenty of songs that will remind listeners of Blue Sky Noise, and those who were fond of the transitions between tracks will be enamored with the transitions of Violent Waves. 

There has always been something so endearing about Circa Survive. Their passion for their craft is only matched by their talent, and the fact that they've come to a point in their careers where they not only have the resolve to withstand being dropped from a label, but the confidence in liberating themselves of any label to release Violent Waves is something that the scene sorely needs. Maybe labels really are becoming obsolete, maybe they aren't. But if there's anything that Circa Survive have proved with their latest effort, it's that passion and vision are more important ingredients for creating great music than money and a record label could ever be. 

The Bottom Line: While Violent Waves doesn't quite stand up to Blue Sky Noise as Circa Survive's best album, it stakes its claim as the band's most important release. Rather than a last-ditch effort to stay relevant, this album proves that Circa Survive aren't going anywhere.

Recommended if you rock: Circa Survive, Coheed and Cambria's Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 1: From Fear through the Eyes of Madness, Thursday's No Devolucion, sticking it to the man. 

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