Circle - Terminal

Review by Abhishek Pandey

Album Review: Terminal by Circle Circle’s Terminal, released in 2017 via Southern Lord, is a genre-bending beast that refuses to sit still. This Dutch-American collaboration throws together Rock, Metal, Jazz, and Pop/Rock influences with reckless abandon, creating something both chaotic and oddly cohesive. It's experimental as hell—touching on Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Post-Rock, Krautrock, and even Alternative/Indie vibes—but somehow avoids collapsing under its own ambition. The album kicks off with "Rakkauta Al Dente" (or "Rakkautta Al Dente", depending on your tracklist reading). Whatever the spelling, this one sticks with you. It starts like an engine revving up—slowly building tension before exploding into a mix of grinding riffs and soaring melodies. The interplay between Jussi Lehtisalo’s vocals and Antti Uusimaki’s production wizardry gives it a raw yet polished edge. You can almost picture the band sweating it out in the studio while nailing those layers of sound. By the time the saxophone solo hits in "Saxo" later on, you realize these guys aren’t just making music—they’re throwing paint at a canvas and seeing what sticks. And damn if it doesn’t work. Speaking of "Sick Child," this track feels like the emotional gut-punch of the record. Its haunting intro pulls you in before shifting gears into heavy, melodic territory. There’s a vulnerability here that cuts through all the noise—a reminder that beneath the technical fireworks, there’s heart beating inside this machine. If anything, it proves Circle knows how to balance their wild experimentation with moments of genuine connection. Production-wise, hats off to Antti Uusimaki for mixing and Jussi Lehtisalo for mastering. They’ve managed to keep everything tight without losing the organic feel that makes Terminal so engaging. Photographer Samantha Muljat deserves props too; her visuals match the vibe perfectly—dark but not overly serious, kind of like the album itself. What strikes me most about Terminal is its refusal to play it safe. Sure, some tracks might veer close to sensory overload, but isn’t that the point? Listening to this feels like being invited to a party where everyone speaks a different musical language—and somehow, they’re all having a blast together. In the end, Terminal leaves you thinking: What did I just listen to? But hey, that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it’s kinda refreshing. Maybe next time they’ll throw in some polka or reggae—who knows with these guys? One thing’s for sure: boredom won’t be on the menu anytime soon.

Artist: Circle
Album: Terminal

2017

Rating: 4.29

Review
About Album
Download
Tracks
Video
Images
Catalog Numbers
Labels
Listen online
Formats
Companies
Credits
Notes
Barcodes
About Artist
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: circle-terminal.zip

MP3 size: 37.8 mb
FLAC size: 375.2 mb

Download

Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Terminal	8:16
Rakkautta Al Dente
Imperiumi	4:16
Kill City	6:13
Sick Child	5:49
Rakkauta Al Dente	12:53
Saxo	5:52

Video

Circle - Terminal

Circle - Kill City

Images

Catalog Numbers

LORD 235
LORD235

Labels

Southern Lord

Listen online

lytte på nettet
écouter en ligne
ouvir online
escuchar en línea
kuunnella verkossa
ascolta in linea
lyssna på nätet
online luisteren
online anhören

Formats

Vinyl
LP
Album
Pink
CD
Clear
Green

Companies

Role	Company
Pressed By	Optimal Media GmbH
Recorded At	Artlab Studio
Copyright (c)	Southern Lord Recordings
Mixed At	Haista II Studio
Lacquer Cut At	Optimal Media GmbH

Credits

Role	Credit
Lacquer Cut By	KR
Mastered By	Jussi Lehtisalo
Mixed By	Antti Uusimaki
Photography By	Samantha Muljat
Recorded By	Antti Uusimaki, Jussi Liukkonen
Performer	Jussi Lehtisalo

Notes

Recorded At ARTLAB, Helsinki & Cabin, 2016
Mixed At HAISTA II, Suomenlinna, 2016
Limited to 500 pink copies
Limited to 500 on green vinyl

Barcodes

Barcode: 808720023510
Matrix / Runout: LORD 235 BG63732 01 A1 KR
Matrix / Runout: LORD 235 BG63732 01 B1 KR
Matrix / Runout: LORD 235 BG63727-01 A1 KR
Matrix / Runout: LORD 235 BG63727-01 B1 KR
Barcode (Scanned): 808720023527
Barcode (Printed): 8 08720 02352 7
Matrix / Runout (Side A): LORD 235 BG63727-01 A1 KR
Matrix / Runout (Side B): LORD 235 BG63727-01 B1 KR

About Circle

Finnish experimental rock / Krautrock band founded in 1991 in Pori

Name Vars

Circle (Ex-Falcon)

Aliases

Falcon (Ex-Circle)

Members

Tomi Leppänen
Mika Rättö
Olli Joukio
Teemu Elo
Janne Peltomäki
Teemu Niemelä
Jussi Lehtisalo
Ville Raitio
Tomi Harrivaara
Janne Westerlund
Teemu Korpipää
Juha Ahtiainen
Petri Hagner
Janne Tuomi
Pekka Jääskeläinen
Jyrki Laiho
Tuomas Laurila
Julius Jääskeläinen
Tommi Sookari
Jussi Rajala
Rami Simelius
Ville Valavuo
Markus Hietamies
Ydinontelo

Interesting fact about Album

Here’s a fun fact: The album *Terminal* by Circle is like a musical chameleon. It blends genres like rock, metal, jazz, and pop/rock into one wild ride. Imagine experimental sounds meeting melodic death metal and even krautrock vibes. Released in 2017 on Southern Lord, it’s got tracks with names like “Kill City” and “Sick Child,” but also “Rakkauta Al Dente”—which sounds fancy enough to be a pasta dish. Oh, and get this: Jussi Lehtisalo, who mastered the album, also performed on it. Talk about wearing multiple hats! The photography? That was handled by Samantha Muljat, adding her own visual flair to the mix. It’s an album that feels as international as its creators, with roots in both the Netherlands and the US.

Comments

bbchill

2025-03-10

The band's 2017 album, Terminal, is a terrible mesh of one-chord Stoner Rock nonsense and post-Burzum shrieking vocals. The band has always sounded adrift, but this one is insulting.

twentyfirstcentry

2025-03-09

wonderful album

lauraochami

2025-03-09

SO excellent. I like the final part where the track changes like the second half of "Wanzhemvergg" by Ruins.

saipegatraju1997

2025-03-09

UCSD anyone?

johnnmuiruri

2025-03-09

http://progrocks.gr/en/circle-terminal/
"In Kill City synths and guitars are combined in an explosive metal recipe, quite aggressive and bold that also becomes melodic in parts. Another highlight and one more display of psychedelic mysticism."

defrita

2025-03-09

Cuts in like rusty scalpel, this is what I have been waiting. Thanks Circle.

dre08

2025-03-09

as always... splendid!

ericwitt11

2025-03-09

no comments. it happens sometimes when you're expect ppl's reaction to interesting something. but ppl tend to avoid interesting something.

nice band doing weird music for several decades though, Lehtisalo is the man (can't see him on a stage in this vid).