With the Amulet, Circa Survive offer fans a slightly softer [even] more atmospheric take on their unique mash up of alternative / post-hardcore/ emo/ prog rock hybrid. Anthony Green and company have not strayed much from their original sound which started back in 2005. Putting their entire catalog on shuffle, a listener would be hard pressed to recall which album a track calls home. Melodic guitars fed through effects pedals, bass and drums locked in excellent foundational rhythms, fill every song allowing varying nuances to be picked up on repeat listens. Their closest brethren may be the Deftones stripped of metal influences and replaced with dabs of shoegaze minus the echo chamber/ tremolo.
“Tunnel Vision”, “Stay”, and “Rites of Investiture” demonstrate the bands ability to rip through a song. Atmosphere and emotion are ramped up in the three final tracks “the Hex”, “Flesh and Bone”, and “the Amulet”. The remaining tracks are a perfect blend of both worlds. It is difficult to pick a favorite, as listening to this over the past month, each day brings a different top track, most likely tied to the listeners current mood or cycle of the moon. The other great thing about this band is that cover art tends to match the tone and feel of the music: surreal, foreign yet familiar, and ultimately stolen from some subconscious memory. As with all of their records, best to let the Amulet sink in over time.
