Crystal Lake Expand With New Song, 'The Circle'

Japan's Crystal Lake is back with something slightly different for fans. 

2016's 'True North' showed Crystal Lake branching into more melodic sounds, different vocal styles and colourful tones with bangers like 'Waves', 'Black & Blue', and 'Metro'. All welcome changes by that point in time, quite honestly. Then the riffy, bouncy assault of 2017's hefty 'Apollo', showed Crystal Lake doing what they do best in terms of full-on metalcore. Once again keeping fans on their toes with something slightly deviating from the usual output is their newest single, 'The Circle'. As it turns out, the title track from their 2018 EP isn't half bad!

Here, the band keep things switched up for both new and longtime fans. Those Swedish metal guitar leads, the push-yelled "clean" vocals in the choruses, and a solid guest spot from coldrain's Masato David Hayakawa keep things mixed-up. Yet the track still finds time for Crystal Lake's metalcore roots to spread out. Namely by knuckling down into Ryo Kinoshita's growled vocals, heavier chugs, and some churning yet short-lived breakdowns. In terms of 'The Circle' being either the usual sound or a real progression for the group's sound, it's a little bit of column A and a little bit of column B.

The music video's Satanic-esque visuals of creepy, ritualistic shady world-powers existing and acting behind the scenes go hand-in-hand with the religious-themed lyrics of sin, evil and control. Be sure to check it all out below, as well fellow new track, 'Lost in Forever', which guest features Gideon's Daniel McWhorter and Tyler Riley.

Crystal Lake still hasn't toured Australia and my sorrow is endless.