Here is What the Press has to Say:
Cincinnati
Enquirer
December 11th, 1998
Rating ****, four stars out
of a possible four stars
by Larry Nager
Straight out of Ludlow comes this varied, confident sophomore effort from longtime local rock band Circus Of The Sun. The music still carries a heavy edge, thanks to Ashley Shepherd's thunderous bass. But pop sounds abound, giving Beware Of Giants a sound both hard and fresh.
Bright vocal harmonies are sprinkled throughout the 15 songs (including the obligatory hidden track). "Magico" has a reggae-on-steroids sound with Mr. Shepherd's deep, elastic bass lines, while "Here To Stay" soars on a bed of sunny hippie rock. "Urban Sprawl" is jaggedy metal-funk, relieved by those chiming vocal harmonies.
"Piece Of Flesh" is standard modern metal, as is the title track, which earlier appeared on the fine local band compilation Our Musik Cinti. 1998. The lighter contemporary- rock side of the band is heard on "Snails", which found a home on this year's Jammin' On Main CD.
In time for Christmas, there's "Jesus Christ Was An Alien." That bit of extraterrestrial theology ("Came down from the mothership, too bad it was a wasted trip") comes wrapped in pop rock so catchy it could be a psychodots outtake.
Thanks to the tight rhythm section of Mr. Shepherd and drummer Dave Becknell, it all has a cohesive band sound, a tribute to the years the quartet has spent together. Beware Of Giants is an adventurous, modern rock album that puts to shame most of what the major labels did in '98.
The band, which includes singer Marty Evans and guitarist Chuck Davis, holds a CD release party at 10pm today at the Barrelhouse Brewery.
Columbus Alive April 15th, 1999
Playlist
by Gary Thrasher
If there is one thing Beware of Giants... conveys, it is character. Circus of the Sun's new album is full of life, challenging yet respecting convention. As far as categorization goes, they would be better classified "unusual" than "experimental."
Dark tunes such as the full-throttle Primus-pumk Urban Sprawl and the slower Piece of Flesh stand out against the barely restrained animation of BaZoom, BaZing, but cannot drag the album into depression. There is no evil here, no angstful diatribes. The Cincinnati-based band's whimsical side does become a liability on feel-good teenie bopper anthems like Jesus Christ Was An Alien but thankfully these are few. The majority of tunes don't stoop to the ridiculous or cliched.
The music is a light, pixilated combination of pop and funk with a big, bright production job. As for inspiration, a strong King's X influence is apparent from the opening bars of the first song onward. Circus of the Sun retains the quartet's idiosyncratic vocal harmonies, odd meters and phrasing, but forgoes the big-fisted sound in favor of something less brutal. That is not to say that they qualify as a lounge act. If the album's energy is any indication of the band's ability in a live setting, this is one act you ought to see the next time they venture north.
Cincinnati CityBeat December 10-16, 1998
Spill It
by Mike Breen
On Friday at the Barrelhouse, groovin' Rock quartet Circus Of The Sun will kick out the jams in honor of their second album, Beware of Giants. The Cincy band has been honing skills on the local scene for about six years, and Beware of Giants shows them to be an immaculately tight, radio-ready Rock band of the highest caliber.
As instrumentalists, the group is unrivaled, with inventive and unique guitar parts and a rhythm section you could bounce a quarter off of. Singer Marty Evans also shines on Giants, providing a soaring and soulful voice to the band's funky, heavy, poppy groove. Giants features great melodies, solid production, beautiful harmonies and a handful of tunes that should be all over Rock radio. It's killer stuff that should take COTS to the far reaches of the Rock & Roll universe.
Everybody's
News
December 10th-16th, 1998
Scene & Heard
by Thurgood Ann Willams
This Friday December 11th, Circus Of The Sun will celebrate the independent release of their sophomore effort, Beware Of Giants, with a shake-'em-up hootenanny at the BarrelHouse. The new CD contains 14 songs that stand as a testament to the veteran local band's flawless musicianship and capable song craft. The band's ability to meld heavy-edged guitar riffage and funk-inspired rhythms with uncanny pop sensibilities has earned them an individualized niche in the local scene.
Cincinnati
CityBeat
December 17-24, 1998
Cincinnati's Top 40
by Mike Breen
COTS is #7 in the top 40 albums of the year as rated by CityBeat!
Circus of the Sun - Beware Of Giants
The band's best yet, COTS mixed groove-intensive Rock with addictive melodies
and soulful vocals to create a blend that should have Rock radio programmers
salivating. Hooky, energetic and powerful, these guys should have no trouble
moving to the next level of sucess.
Everybody's
News
December 25th, 1998-January 7, 1999
Local Library
by Quentin Haskins
Circus of the Sun have that nice, polished groove sound that reminds me of the later, more tame Fishbone songs or a Corey Glover solo project. This group, headquartered in Ludlow, KY, probably has what it takes to sell a good number of records on the pop charts. In fact, lead singer Marty Evans' clear, distinctive voice would not be out of place following the latest Seal song on the radio rotation. They even have a few songs reminiscent of Alice in Chains or some such hard rock band. Unfortunately, that's where they falter.
The good times don't begin on this record until track six, "Urban Sprawl", in which we hear some of the reputed live fire of Circus of the Sun in original, spontaneous groove form. This album should be a springboard for the band to bigger and better things, but honestly, if you want to see the best side of Circus of the Sun, go see them in a club with the music cranked up and the bass thumping; that's where they thrive.