Over the last year, the indefatigable CRYSTAL LAKE was back in the studio again, working on material for a brand new album, delivering their New Single「The Circle」on 2018, August 8th in only 10 months since the release of the previous single「Apollo」(released on 2017, October 11th).

The CD is composed of 3 songs: The lead track「The Circle」includes a Featuring with Masato of COLDRAIN, the second track「Lost In Forever」results from the meeting with Daniel McWhorter (Vo.) and Tyler Riley (Gt./Vo.) of the American band GIDEON and the last track is an ambitious Remix of the song「True North」by EUPHORIC WAVISM.

01.「The Circle」Feat. Masato of COLDRAIN

The title song is about 4 minutes and 50 seconds, coming up with strong guitar riffs or completely high, a sharp bass, and an explosive drum, all this surrounded with harmonic sounds. The Live feeling is also outstanding; You can imagine yourself at the show, feeling so touched by the music that you are compelled to sing along « Break us, break us! Save us, save us! Take us, take us! ».

In addition, the new oriental guitar phrase develops the musical pattern and adds depth to the melody. We can also notice the influence of the New metal and metal from the ’90s, 2000’s, especially in the vocal, that give to the song some thought about the subject and the hook of the song.

By the way, talking about the meaning of the song,「The Circle」is a metaphor that describes the band as a cult, praying to the music like a god, leading the people and gradually infecting them with the music by spreading the word all over the world.

「THE CIRCLE」‘s CD cover artwork designed by Koh Yamada represented an Ouroboros, a snake eating its own tail, symbolizing the cyclic nature of the universe, creation out of destruction, life out of death.

Masato (Vo. COLDRAIN) is featuring in the middle of the track, making this song the latest masterpiece released in the Japanese music industry.

「The Circle」Music Video also has an Egyptian connotation, famous for great cultural advances in human knowledge, from the art to science to technology and religion. Moreover, the Egyptian culture is often associated with death and mortuary rites, the meaning of human beings and the purpose of remembrance. CRYSTAL LAKE wants us to understand the hidden spiritual meanings by the illumination of our holy spirits.

CRYSTAL LAKE‘s members are dressed in their finest clothing, traditionally set with the finest place settings and silverware, gathering to share prayers and a festive meal, drinking red wine which was usually used mostly for ceremonial purposes for the upper classes.

Therefore, the customs include telling the story and celebrating freedom from slavery in ancient Egypt, based on the Biblical verse: « It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt ». There is a tradition for the person leading the ceremony to wear a white robe, thus we can guess that Masato (Vo. COLDRAIN) is chairing the table.

« Thy will be done in hell for it is yours,
Almighty Lord who lives and reigns forever more,
Thy will be done in hell for it is yours,
We praise his holy name as servants of the Lord »

This scene gives reality to the main topic of the song.

We can also notice a circular Egyptian mythology calendar, a solar calendar, that conjectured to represent the seasons, months, planets, days and hours. The representation of this planisphere map (Zodiac) in circular form is unique in ancient Egyptian art. All other references to the Zodiac or astrology are either square or pyramidal in shape and design, a symbol of the ancient Egypt period’s power and its strong religious beliefs.

Ryo is playing with a goat which became associated with the unofficial image of the devil.

CRYSTAL LAKE「The Circle」Music Video was directed by INNI VISION. The seahorse bangle and pendant were created by「Bottega Ruan」from the Japanese artist Nishimura Takanori. The tattoos (full back body tattoos) were realized by Kaketattoos, and Ryo‘s tattoos by Mii Ink Tattooer; With the participation of TORIZO, the pet bird of YD (Gt. CRYSTAL LAKE).

02.「Lost In Forever」Feat. Daniel McWhorter & Tyler Riley of GIDEON

This song is about time and eternity as if we could live forever. It’s a cycle of eternity that you could visualize as a circle and thus connected to the first song.

« We’re lost in the moment that we’ve called forever »

It’s about this impermanence of life that we are so deeply afraid of. But every bubble is born to burst, I think it’s just a matter of life.

The resulting encounter between time and eternity makes us acknowledge the fact that death is inevitable. During this period of transition, we have to learn how to live in the world, as well as know-how to die to this world, and when the time comes, know to awaken to eternity.

Although the time is an abstract measure, it’s the best indicator of time use at the aggregate level. It’s hard to get into the concept of the sun, dream, time, eternity, memory, space, purity and innocence. This is the reason why Ryo (Vo. CRYSTAL LAKE), through the lyrics, makes it a little more manageable and friendlier.

Therefore, we are making meetings and partings, but in spite of that, life ends. To build such a strong bond with people in a such amount of time makes the separation difficult. But the feelings that connect people seem to be tied firmly.

Likewise, happy and sad moments are transient and bound to end, but still living though inside somewhere in a corner of the heart that we call « forever ». And it will never change and will last forever.

If you look back, are you really satisfied with your achievements over the past years? Do you have any regrets? Do you have any dreams that you haven’t yet fulfilled? What should I do now? 

« If I finish what I started,
What will I have to lose,
You’re the scar in my heart,
Living proof of my youth,
When will I ever again or never again,
Will our heart beat synchronize again? »

We are all facing such moments in life that allows us to project ourselves into the universe of this song.

It may just be an anecdote, but this song comes as a result of the meeting between CRYSTAL LAKE and GIDEON (USA). They met for the first time in Japan in July 2017 at the「BLOODAXE TOUR 2017」, they hit it off right from the start, became close friends and called each other « Family Forever ». From that time forward, both were already related to the notion of time passing.

They shot the Music Video of the song in Shibuya (Tokyo) when GIDEON came back to Japan on the occasion of the「BLOODAXE TOUR 2018」.

03.「True North」Remix by Euphoric Wavism

This is a beautiful Remix of the song「True North」from the title album「True North」, released on 2016, November 30th.

「Euphoric Wavism」is headed by Tetsuya. His style is based mainly on Techno and House music. All his work was closely coordinated with domestic and international record labels. He supports many activities and was involved in several successful collaborations with CRYSTAL LAKE (Overcome -Dark Step Remix-, REMIX CD, The Circle Single「True North -Remix-」…).

Check it out!

Artwork by Koh Yamada (SHELFS.co)

[THE CIRCLE]

[CD]

01. THE CIRCLE (feat. Masato of COLDRAIN)
02. Lost In Forever (feat. Daniel McWhorter and Tyler Riley of GIDEONl)
03. True North – Remix by EUPHORIC WAVISM

Now available on Music Platforms for overseas! (EXCLUDE JAPAN*)

→ SPOTIFY
→ APPLE MUSIC
→ GOOGLE PLAY MUSIC
→ AMAZON MUSIC

To celebrate the release of the New Single「THE CIRCLE」, CRYSTAL LAKE performed a FREE ONEMAN SHOW at Shibuya TSUTAYA O-WEST in Tokyo on 2018, September 3rd.

[REVIEW] 
2018.08.08 
CRYSTAL LAKE　
New Single
「The Circle」
Feat. Masato (Vo. COLDRAIN) ＆ GIDEON (USA)

Review by Gaëlle GEDDA

INSTAGRAM : gaelle_gedda
TWITTER : gaelle_gedda
FACEBOOK : geddagaelle

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