Battle Beast – Circus of Doom
Release Date: 21st January 2022
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Pre-Order/Pre-Save
Genre: Power Metal, Heavy Metal.
FFO: Amaranthe, Beast in Black, Delain, Powerwolf.
Review By: Eric Wilt
Battle Beast is a power metal band led by charismatic frontwoman Noora Louhimo. Hailing from Finland, Battle Beast has been raising the flag of heavy metal since 2008, and they have been fronted by Louhimo since 2012. Joining Louhimo for their latest opus are bassist Eero Sipilä, guitarists Joona Björkroth and Juuso Soinio, keyboardist Janne Björkroth, and drummer Pyry Vikki. In the decade or so that they have been together, Battle Beast has had three albums hit the number one spot on the Finnish charts and their music has been streamed over 200 million times. Looking to continue their successful run of releases, they will drop their new album, Circus of Doom, on 21 January 2022.
Circus of Doom was recorded at JKB studios in Helsinki, Finland, with keyboardist Janne Björkroth handling both the production and mixing side of things. The artwork, which is usually one of the most enjoyable parts of a power metal album, was taken care of by Yan Yrlund, and does not disappoint.
The album kicks off with the title track. Circus of Doom is a mid-tempo stomper sure to get the kids on their feet in all the heavy metal dance halls. If Abba was a heavy metal band, they would’ve written Circus of Doom, and if that’s your kind of thing, I’m sure you’ll wear this track out. Up next is Wings of Light which is a more straight ahead power metal song with symphonic flourishes and, as with most of their songs, an earworm chorus that will stick in your head long after the music has stopped. From there, the album continues to embrace their danceable brand of power metal that I have seen described as “party metal.” Where Angels Fear to Tread slows things down just a touch, but not enough to clear the dance floor, while The Road to Avalon displays a 70s/80s influence somewhere between Donna Summer’s disco and Pat Benatar’s anthemic rockers. The album closer, Place that We Call Home, is a banger that ends the album on a high note.
Overall, Circus of Doom is a light, fun power metal album that is more likely to spark a flash mob than a mosh pit. Noora Louhimo puts in a top-notch vocal performance, and fans of strong female lead singers will find much to enjoy herein. 
(4 / 5)
