martindavey87 Considered to be somewhat of a "supergroup", Red Circuit comprises of various musicians and producers who aren't really big names in themselves, but are members or have worked with bands that people might be familiar with, for example, such as Firewind, Elegy, Adagio and Vanden Plas. The results are surprisingly good, as this is a heavy, grooving, adrenaline-fueled album, full of tasty riffs and powerful vocals.

Despite often being referred to as "prog metal", Red Circuit's song arrangements are nowhere near the complexity often associated with the genre. However, they definitely have a sound to their music that prog metal fans should appreciate. That being heavy, crunchy guitars often backed by melodic keyboard melodies, and with Sri-Lanken powerhouse Chity Somapala on vocals, this is a band that have a perfect sound to appeal to fans of most styles of heavy metal.

With ten potential anthems to choose from, there really isn't a shortage of hooks on this album. Opener 'Under the Sun' is easily one of the highlights of the album, and instantly kicks things off with ass-kicking mode turned all the way up to eleven. Other stand-out tracks include 'So Hard to be Like God', 'Search for Your Soul' and the title track 'Trance State', all choc-full of headbanging grooves to get the blood flowing. For a progressive metal record that won't require a billion listens to become familiar with, Red Circuit's 'Trance State' really is a treat for fans of the genre.

martindavey87 Red Circuit are back with 2009's 'Homeland', which follows in the same vein as their 2006 debut, with the only notable difference (though not entirely noticeable) being a new guitarist, a new bassist, and a much more polished sound in both songwriting and production.

What we have here is some high-quality melodic metal. Sometimes referred to as progressive metal, Red Circuit's music lacks the over-ambitiousness often associated with the genre, and instead focuses on hooks and catchy choruses. Full of breathtaking guitar work and tasty keyboard melodies, 'Homeland' is an incredible album that demonstrates why progressive metal doesn't always need to be 20-minute songs with 16/9 polyrhythmic time changes.

As on their previous album, despite overflowing with excellent musicianship, the main focus of the album is vocalist Chity Somapala, who's powerful and soaring voice really gives the band its own identity. And with only one song exceeding the five-minute mark (and only by mere seconds), each track here is short and sweet, without needing the repeated number of listens progressive metal songs usually require. This is best evidenced in songs like 'Homeland', 'Absinth', 'See the Light' and 'Canonize Your Sins'.

'Homeland' is a strong sequel to a strong debut. Catchy, heavy, and not a filler song in sight. A must-have for any metal fan looking for that hidden gem that never gets the recognition it deserves.