Somehow, I’ve never encountered a band which hails from New Jersey thus far (besides, perhaps The Misfits and My Chemical Romance… which have absolutely do not relate in any way to Gyre). You could blame this on my aversion to today’s certain Jersey-based fads and stereotypes or the fact that I had spent far too many nights experiencing Boston in its transit station - wondering just how much worse Southern New England could be. So, for some odd reason the existence of metal within Jersey has never been something I’ve ever even considered. Though, somehow, Gyre – with their progressive metal and Cthulhu-esque aesthetic- managed to catch my eye and evade my critical stance towards their home base.
Front man Giovannie Jeckler really offers some surprising variety and originality in his craft. Vocals range from crushing to tormented on the beginning track ‘All Revealing Eye’ and immediately shift to an excellent mix of heavy and clean on ‘Circle to Feed’. Though, it’d be a disservice to say that Gyre strictly stands out due to its vocals. Soaz (Guitar), McCartney (Guitar), Bhatt (Bass), and Carpio (Drums) hold up Gyre’s arrangements extremely well – adjusting to changes from Progressive to Thrash to Technical without even the slightest mistake (though one might chop that up to modern editing methods). Bhatt’s Bass, to me, adds quite a bit of distinction to songs like ‘Circle to Feed’ and ‘Ever Devourer’ – I always appreciate a skilled bottom end (even if that sounds bad) that shines through.
Negatives for Gyre’s Second Circle EP are nearly non-existent. I personally find that Second Circle is easy to listen to multiple times and highly enjoyable both lyrically and musically. Not a single track fails to hold up to any claims Gyre makes and it’s obvious that this set wasn’t made to hold up one specific song. Gyre’s Second Circle is an impressive showcase of the bands capabilities – demanding the attention of all modern Progressive Metal fans and beyond.
