Screamo Squares

If Rob Zombie happens to remake The Lord of the Rings trilogy, he could do worse than to hire Circle Takes the Square to provide the soundtrack. Hailing from Savannah, Ga., this assaultive group lays down a cathartic catapult of noise that is migraine heavy and druidic weird. Circle Takes the Square’s new album, Decompositions: Volume Number One, is a non-stop barrage of hammering beats, pitched vocal screaming and grinding, squealing guitars, occasionally relieved by medieval moments of slowed-down chanting and neo-classical harmonic interludes. This is not music for the weak of heart; five minutes with this band will blow out the pipes.

Variously described as screamo and a progressive fusion of post-punk, emo and grindcore, the music created — or rather, concocted, from cauldrons of boiling aggression — by CTS recalls the glorious shit-fits of Austin band Scratch Acid, the late-career metalized work of Black Flag, as well as the elephantine thump of the Melvins, fed through a Moorish haze of fantasized antiquity. CTS doesn’t fuck around: With song titles like “Way of Ever-Branching Paths” and “Singing Vengeance Into Being,” they partake of a kind of Wagnerian narrative that shrouds their music in mystery, giving it the unified thrust of myth-building (think of bands like Sabbath and Maiden). At the same time, they are simply a rock band, louder than bombs. This is music for adrenaline junkies, folks who happily subject themselves to sonic storms that leave their necks spasming and their knuckles dragging on the floor.

Circle Takes the Square plays with Carrion Spring, Wretched of the Earth and Senza 7:30 pm Wednesday, April 23, at The Boreal, 450 W. 3rd; $8, all ages.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!