“5 Albums That Changed Our Lives” w/Aussie Progressive Metallers Circles

It’s been 3 years since acclaimed progressive metallers Circles have released an album (2013’s Infinitas was very well received), and the band just released a banger of a single, “Sand And Wind” – which you can find below.

All 5 members of the band had a go in picking an album that shaped them, their music, and essentially Circles itself. Check out each member’s choice below, and be sure to tune in soon for news about an upcoming album. If it’s as good as the pounding single indicates, we’ll have a real banger on our hands.

Dave Hunter (Drums)

The Offspring Smash (1994)

This was actually the first album I can remember buying and probably my first introduction to alternative or “heavier” music. Although I don’t listen to this sort of stuff these days, this album was a game changer for me. I found myself studying it even though at that point in time I had no conception of music or how to actually play. It is my first recollection of sitting and breaking down a song. I tried to understand how each band members part contributed to the songs and how it all came together. This album changed my life in the sense that it was the start of my journey with music.

Perry Kakridas (Vocals)

Deftones Adrenaline (1995)

When I was 16 years old my thirst for music was only limited by my lack of money.
I didn’t have any friends who were into heavy music, and YouTube, MP3s and all the stuff we take for granted nowadays simply did not exist. I used to hit up a second hand music store in Richmond every weekend, I’d listen to heaps of heavy music and then scrounge up whatever money I had and pick one album to buy.
On one fateful day I had narrowed down my selection to two albums, Skinlab’s Disembody: The New Flesh and Deftones’ Adrenaline. For me, the music had to be more brutal, and always heavier. Deftones’ artwork was stark and minimal, Skinlab’s was visceral and violent. I remember putting on the headphones and listening to Skinlab’s effort, I thought that it kicked ass.
But then I put on Deftones…
The opening riff of Bored resonated in my ears, Chino Moreno’s high pitched, breathy angst was contrasted by Stephen Carpenter’s low tuned chug, it made me feel alone and took me somewhere else. By the time Chi Cheng’s brutal screams had punctuated the chorus I knew that I was hooked. This was heavy in the emotional sense. Lesson learnt. I walked away with the Adrenaline LP and never looked back.

Drew Patton (Bass)

Red Hot Chili Peppers Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)

There are a few other albums to choose from that have changed me musically and as a person, but I’ve chosen this album for a few reasons. And I’ll keep it short. Like so many other bass players, I guess it made them expand their style of playing some what. Me personally though, I could relate to the band, especially from that album and all that proceeded it. Knowing that Flea learnt by playing as opposed to being “taught”. I could 100% relate to playing that style. I guess they backed up my belief in play what you feel, how you feel, what is normally wrong musically isn’t necessarily that at all.

Ben Rechter (Guitar)

Karnivool Sound Awake (2009)

Themata was an incredible album to me, but Sound Awake was the one that changed the way I approached songwriting, in terms of structure and the journey that can be taken throughout in a way that incorporated massive riffs as well as soft atmospheric passages that spoke to me more than anything else I’d heard. The guitars play a slightly more supportive, restrained role while still being impressive and vitally important. The drums are super groovy and played with so much passion, and no drummer has influenced my writing as much as Steve Judd. The bass flips back and forth from a sweet singing tone to the most badass overdrive I’ve heard, and is pretty much a lead instrument on this album, and in my opinion, Ian Kenny hit peak expressiveness and control (so far…).

Ted Furuhashi (Guitar)

Silverchair Frogstomp (1995)

It was the album that introduced me into playing drums, my first instrument. Michael Jackson was and still is my favorite artist but Frogstomp was the first album that made me focus on something that wasn’t a vocal line. Sure MJ had incredible musicianship and grooves that I later appreciated as I matured as a musician but back then, playing “Pure Massacre” or “Madman” on the drums gave me a feeling that nothing else in the world ever could. Since then, music has been my life and will be to the day I die. Cheers Silverchair.