Review by Anthony Nguyen & Staff
Buckle your seatbelts, because “Poison Pill” by Circle of Sanity is one hell of a ride. Bleeding charisma at every turn, the song is an absolute blast to listen to. The guitars are simply breathtaking. They are absolutely massive. Like Mount Everest massive. Josh Sapna provide listeners with an electric performance full of heart as the guitars are everything you’d expect and more from an expertly crafted rock song.
The drums and bass follow in the same vein. With similar spirit and passion, the band's rhythm section provide a rock solid foundation for the rest of the song to sit on. The drums in particular played by Grant McFarland are intensely powerful, every smack of the kick and snare reassuring the pace of the song. The bass is in-the-pocket and tight.
The lead vocal, again sung by Josh Sapna, is a force to be reckoned with. His voice ranges from intimate and right in your face to outright forceful belting. Sapna’s ability to navigate these rocky waters with such ease makes the different sections of the song really shine. The band as a whole gels together excellently. No one instrument or part gets in the way of another, a mark of stellar arranging and production as well as a masterful mix.
The intro is understated, but abruptly explodes into the first verse. Speaking of which, the first verse is brooding and calm relatively, and has a nice contrast to the wild chorus. It relies on the stellar playing from musicians to keep it driving, which it pulls off well. The chorus is an implosion of uncanny vigor that will keep heads banging for its entirety. With the guitars roaring and Sapna singing his heart out, the chorus is a masterclass on how to transition into a new section.
There is some really great arranging going on beneath the hood here. Each section is clearly defined, and all the parts are tasteful and never interfere with the intention of the song. The guitar solo towards the end is without a doubt a work of art. As graceful as it is powerful, it serves as a nice detour from the regular form of the song. The last chorus is, as expected, huge and full of life and closes the curtain with a bang.
Check out the band's promo of Celestial Mechanics to get a taste of their talent:
“Poison Pill” does a great job creating a certain theme, and every production choice seems to complement it’s insightful and dark tone. The lyrics expertly support this production theme, “swallow the poison, and feel the thrill, look back on your anger and swallow the pill”. The lyrics merge with the production and instrumentation very well, and allows the song to remain coherent throughout.
“Poison Pill” by Circle of Sanity is a flat out masterpiece, with brilliant arranging and an even more impressive performance from the band.
Stream on Spotify
About Circle of Sanity
Formed in 2008, Circle of Sanity combines an array of styles including hard rock, classic rock, and metal. Josh Sapna is on guitars and vocals;Carson Slovak is on bass; and Grant McFarland is on drums. Circle of Sanity has toured the Mid-Atlantic region from 50 seat bars to clubs with a capacity of over 2,000 such as the Silo in Reading and Mac's Club in Baltimore. One thing remains consistent through every show they do and that's an overwhelming positive response from the audience. Circle of Sanity brings it every night. They leave the audience wanting more and singing along with every word.
The guys were brought together by bandmix.com and ever since they have been writing new material, and performing original songs in clubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. They've performed in a diverse mix of venues from 50 seat bars to clubs with a capacity of over 2,000 such as the Silo in Reading and Mac's Club in Baltimore.
One thing remains consistent through every show they do and that's an overwhelming positive response from the audience. Circle of Sanity brings it every night. They leave the audience wanting more and singing along with every word.
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