Rock N Roll Worship Circus becomes… by The Listening

What: The lively worship band transforms into an introspective emo group

So you’ve got a band with a distinct sound. You market yourself heavily and make a name for yourself with an underground stirring of fans. Then one day you decide to completely revamp your sound and focus. What do you do? Well, one band has decided to take a radical change in name and style, starting from scratch in essence to be rebirthed as something better.

The Rock N’ Roll Worship Circus has long been known for outstanding live shows. Initially, their music could never be considered mainstream, and their concerts were described as “an experience� more than a concert. After releasing three independent records, they signed the big deal with a major label and released two more records, Welcome to the Rock N Roll Worship Circus and A Beautiful Glow. Unfortunately, the records met with only moderate success and they weren’t picked up for a third. Undaunted, the band went on a European tour as the opening act for Delirious. But something happened while they were “across the pond�. The songs they wrote no longer carried the peppy sound of “Hair Boy� and “Morning Glory�, but veered in the darker, more introspective direction of “The Undiscovered�. They released an EP titled The Listening, warning their fans it was a different sound for them.

Now, a year later, the band decided the sound of The Listening was what they wanted to go with from this point, so much so that they changed their name to match it. Cleverly titled The Rock N’ Roll Worship Circus Becomes…, this is whole new era for the band. If you’re a fan of any of their previous efforts, be prepared for a surprise.

“The Glory of the Feared� starts the disc off and sets the tone for the rest. Originally released on The Listening EP as “untitled� (it’s the only song to make it from the EP to this full-length release), the song has been polished, lengthened by adding a chorus, and remixed. The result is an incredible opener. Gabriel Wilson’s vocals, barely above a whisper at times, resonate with passion. Solo’s guitar work here is incredible, as it has been in most previous RnRWC releases. They create an aural soundscape a lot like something you’d expect to hear from Moby. This is a song almost guaranteed to be listened to a few times before you progress further.

Songs like “Triple Fascination� and “Be In Your Eyes� keep building on the concept started with “The Glory of the Feared�, though “Be In Your Eyes� is probably a little easier to get into. “Hosea in C Minor� is a powerful song, touching on the aspects of Hosea and Gomer’s story from the Bible, choosing to focus mostly on the love that carried on even though it was spurned.

This disc also carries another song called “Untitled�. I don’t know if this is going to be a trend, where they allow a glimpse of a song for their next release like they did from their last EP, but this is a great song as is.

The only weak spot is “The Factory�, which is just plain weird. The lyrics are about a guy burning a factory while in a fatal showdown with the cops. It seems out of place here, even musically.

The CD also includes a 3-song bonus disc, with one of their best songs from the Worship Circus era: “The Undiscovered�. Long a concert favorite, it was originally released on their indie Big Star Logistics disc, then ended up on Welcome to the Rock N’ Roll Worship Circus. It returns here, but there are no major changes made to it. Another great song on the bonus disc is “Isaiah�, which sounds like it could have come from Delirious. The last song, “If You Don’t Know Where It Is You’ve Gone� is a quiet acoustic track.

As I mentioned earlier, there are no songs on here you’ll be pumping at high volumes as you race down the road. Instead, this is meant to be listened to all in one setting, much like The Prayer Chain’s Mercury CD. The band’s plan in creating this record was to allow the music to speak for itself, and as such they barely offer any commentary between songs when in concert. If you ever get the chance to see this band live, do it. It’s unlike anything you’ve seen from most Christian bands. This CD is more of an experience than a standout record, but fans of Pedro the Lion, The Myriad, The Choir, or The Prayer Chain will probably enjoy this one.

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