One of my early live assignments upon joining MetalTalk was covering London quartet Star Circus in Wolverhampton. Fast forward, and Friday sees the release of their hugely anticipated sophomore From The Wreckage. This sees Star Circus massively consolidate on the potential demonstrated throughout 2022’s debut Separate Sides to produce an exquisitely crafted, multi-layered collection of rich anthems that are jam-packed with melody and zest.
Star Circus – From The Wreckage
Release Date: 13 June 2025
Words: Sophie James
I described Star Circus at Wolverhampton in 2023 as “possessing an eclectic range of influences stretching from classic hard rock through AOR, ’80s Glam Metal, ’90s American power pop, heavy funk and post-grunge. These fuse faultlessly to form a sound that is stacked full of infectious melodies, grandiose vocal and instrumental harmonies, plus colossally catchy choruses. It is this musical melting pot that makes Star Circus so fascinating.”
Comprising the nucleus of singer/guitarist Dave Winkler and bassist Sophie Aurelia Young, on this release, they are joined by various accomplished guest guitarists, including Tom Draper (ex-Carcass, Spirit Adrift) and Ritchie Mohicano (Dobermann).
“We’re fighting for peace, we’re waltzing with war forever and evermore.” A showcase for all which follows.
There is an immeasurable amount of musicality crammed into the 5½ minutes of propelling opener Over And Over. The thunderous percussive intro leads into a frantic yet intricate riff, while the hugely harmonic chorus is typical of their expansive sound.
With Lordesque keyboards flowing into a Route One Rock ‘n’ Roll workout, it demonstrates confidence, not to mention ambition, as it advances into a total jam so early in the record.
First release off the platter Chained To You follows. An immense harmony guitar intro and equally melodious chorus define an upbeat anthemic ode to a doomed relationship.
Most impressive is the sparkling production of William Robertson, which establishes a scale of sound that separates or fuses the elaborate components as necessary.
“It’s the voice inside your mind, tells you what you need to hear, when you believe, in nothing at all.”
A stirring chronicle of internal struggle, the near titular The Wreckage is an acerbic but succinct label for the subject matter. Its darker riff, accentuated by the pre-solo pummellage, elevates the sound into Muse territory when the latter indulges their supermassive orchestrations.
The vocals are glistening and quite possibly the finest arranged of their recording career to date. Simply magnificent.
“When I run away from you, I only run into myself”.
“Your time is gonna come, I think you’ve had your moment in the sun.”
One Hit Wonder is a quirky yet cutting biographical commentary.
In the tradition of the idiosyncratic British lyricists of the ’60s and ’70s, it matures to capture an accordant musical essence. Dance inducing, but only for the fancy footed!
From its acoustic intro, the pre-released Turn The Tide rises from its initial laid-back ’70s feel into another unsurprisingly hugely lavish anthem. One cannot help but be seduced by the manner in which the melodies intertwine and encompass the listener. Perfect summer listening.
Despite weighing in a mere 4 minutes 38 seconds, Destiny’s Door has the feeling of an epic hybrid from a duo of rock legends, one of which is a fundamental influence on the band. I urge you to lend an ear to this, and I guarantee one name will be on your lips.
One suspects this would form the centrepiece of the live set and allow both (or possibly more) guitarists to spread their wings.
Takes you back to the glory days. Hell Yeah!
Masquerade sees Sophie step up to the microphone stand on a number that has a more restrained AOR feel with less emphasis on those luxurious choral arrangements. It is an absorbing interlude which works well within the context of the album and, hopefully, live performance.
“Surveillance cameras watching me, I try to hide a secret world they’ll never see – inside my mind.”
From its initial peculiarly bubbly yet moody groove, Floodlights casts off its restraints in a typical rousing style that intermittently shows touches of Scorpions. Dave’s tone perfectly captures the sense of insecurity and vulnerability but, ultimately, hope.
The penultimate Last Dance is another standout that picks up the pace so gleefully. With a riff that will have all air guitarists plugging in and turning it up to 11, its driving rhythmic immediacy was a vital factor in making it not only my personal favourite but embedding itself as my earworm of the past few weeks.
Not to be outdone, Sophie’s bass (on 12?) provides the most propulsive support. So damn uplifting it is an essential setlist inclusion, possibly even a closer. The kind of song that Repeat Buttons were invented for.
“Every time she cries, the child behind her eyes, reveals another layer of her beautiful disguise.”
While Last Dance would have made a spectacular finale, I can appreciate the reasoning behind leaving that to the more relationship-affirming latest single, Two Odds Make an Even.
A dreamy intro soon yields to a more sonorous verse, which heads into a chorus worthy of Journey. It is adorable how the closing coda builds – simple but deliciously effective.
Thinking back to that live performance, one suspected one was witnessing the embryonic stage of a well-motivated aspirational outfit.
Just over two years later, From The Wreckage not only solidifies that belief, but the results have far exceeded hopes and expectations.
So much time, love and effort has gone into creating and arranging the multiple luxurious choral and instrumental layers that permeate throughout. Everywhere one turns, there is so much lavish musicality to discover as a result of the craft of the gifted protagonists.
Melody is a critical, finely balanced ingredient. Too much and the dish becomes sickly sweet and insufficient, and it becomes bland and tasteless. On each and every dish, Star Circus have judged the measure required with precision.
The sound of Summer ’25? Quite possibly.
Beyond that, it certainly merits inclusion when followers and commentators alike compile their Album of the Year lists.
The performance of a lifetime, so far at any rate. The mind boggles as to where their musical odyssey will yet convey them.
From the Wreckage is released on Friday 13 June 2025 via Renaissance Records and all major streaming services. For more details and pre-order information, visit StarCircus.hearnow.com/from-the-wreckage.
