Closed Circuit - Violent Nights

Closed Circuit

Violent Nights
self-released; 2015

3.4 out of 5

By Ted Rogen

Closed Circuit is a UK based band comprised of Kirsty Jo-Ann King (vocals), Lee Daffern  (guitar), Ben Radford (guitar), Dave Mallinder (bass) and Ant Nash (drums and vocals) who recently released an eight-song album entitled Violent Nights. They play a style of heavy rock that was introduced into the mainstream more than a decade ago  by bands such as Evanescence, Lacuna Foil and then maintained by bands like Flyleaf.

The songs are predictable without any surprises but are also well delivered and well-written. If you are the fan of the genre you should have no problem embracing these songs. One thing I  appreciated about the songs was Kirsty Jo-Ann King’s vocal performance. She has a deep, powerful voice that covers a lot of frequencies and blended well with distorted guitars and compressed, hard hitting drums.

All the songs follow a similar formula so don’t expect any unexpected techno breakdowns or jazz inspired choruses. The first song “God Help Me” is indicative of what you can expect from the remainder of the album, intense guitar driven music that attempts to feel like an epic cathartic purge.

Dark, Goth inspired lyrics are the norm and it often feels like they could have come from a disgruntled teenager’s notebook. Lyrics like “In a world full of hope, I belonged in your kiss, Our arms were entwined, Our bodies and minds future so bright Even stars can’t outshine I marvelled at you until the End of time” and “An angel's lies from a devil's lips you sew, Your cheap disguise is a force beyond control” are indicative of the themes you will encounter. In all honesty the lyrics are exactly what you would expect from the genre.

Closed Circuit does this genre justice and replicate all of its tropes and staples to a tee. In fact they are a couple of degrees away from competing with a couple of the more established acts. As much as they can pull off the genre there's very little here that makes the music feel like a signature sound and because of that there is a chance of their music blending into the ether of an oversaturated market. The band has innate talent but I think they should tinker with some ideas that can separate them from the herd.

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