01	Jag, Anglamarks Bane						13:47
	02	Positivhalaren						07:19
	03	Kakafonia						06:22
	04	Valkyria						10:03
	05	Ulv I Faraklader						09:56

Mats Segerdahl, drums;
Rickard Bistrom, bass and vocals;
Lena Pettersson, cello;
Robert Sjoback, guitar;
Linda Agren, flute and vocals;
Fredrik Karlsson, keyboards

Gary Varney:
I hate to say it, but Cirkus comes across as Hybris-Lite. I realize that Sinkadus claims to have been musically active before Anglagеrd, so the unflattering epithet I sometimes hear - "Anglagеrd wannabes" - may be completely unfair.
So why "Hybris-Lite"? The musical ideas on Cirkus are somewhat similar, but they're diluted: cello and flute lines are laid on a fairly straightforward musical bed of synths (including mellotron) and clean guitar, but for the most part the final result lacks punch, lacks tension. Compositions are much less complex, and unfortunately dynamics are muted, so the range of emotions that the music evokes in the listener is quite limited. One of my main complaints is that I far too frequently find unchallenging melodic phrases being repeated - sometimes in different keys - too many times in a row. One of the more egregious examples runs from 4:40 to 6:30 in "Ulv i Faraklader".
Three of five songs offer vocals in Swedish but they're fairly sparse, giving way to lengthy instrumental passages. Bistrom's voice is adequate, though his words strike me as overenunciated. What little I hear of Linda Agren's backing vocals sounds pleasant, and I wish the band would take more advantage of her voice. Her flute work is central to the band's sound, and I particularly like the "twiddling" she does at 5:50 in "Jag, Anglamarks Bane", giving me the image of a bird suddenly taking to flight, its wings beating rapidly.
Fans of the Scandinavian scene might find Cirkus worth a try, but bear in mind that the typical dark and intense soundscapes are absent here; noncommittally, the mood of the music walks a fine central line, rarely straying into either somber or buoyant territory.



CIRKUS
Written by Magnus Florin

Sinkadus, the Swedish progressive band with their Swedish lyrics. Since I'm from this country myself, I find it really cool listening to prog rock with my mother tongue. I guess others wouldn't find it just as cool, but it's different of course. This CD contains five tracks, the shortest being 6:26 of playtime, and the longest 13:45. I guess the music could be compared to Genesis and King Crimson. It's kind of tragic sounding songs they've got here, and the vocals are performed in a very numb way. Good, but numb. Very charismatic to put it right. The line-up features both a flute and a cello player, and that is something that brings in some really cool elements, I think. A bit more of the old school, the sounds of Jethro Tull. The lyrics are translated into english in the booklet, which also is a good move so that all can get the impression of what the songs are about.


CIRKUS
Written by Greger Ronnqvist

Sinkadus was the band that took over where Anglagard ended in 1994, and released the best debut album in 1996 in my opinion. Now they're back with their second album "Cirkus", the follow up to "Aurum Nostrum".

The music is a mix between Genesis, King Crimson, Yes and Anglagard. The vocals are singed in Swedish, and there's plenty of great instruments, such as flute, cello, organ and layers of beautiful Mellotron. The music is complex with many time-changes and instrumental passages. It also has a lot of contrast, and it varies from calm to very dramatic and intense.

The 16-page CD-booklet is very beautiful with illustrations to each song. I won't mention any highlights because every track is equally good. Sinkadus is one of the best bands from the '90's, and this may be the best album of the year. It's almost as good as their debut album "Aurum Nostrum" from 1996, and a future classic progressive album. Highly recommended, especially for lovers of Anglagard and Mellotron!



Sinkadus - Cirkus (1999)

One of the first non-English bands that I ever really got into was Anglagard. Naturally, after becoming addicted to Hybris, I wanted more. However, I also wanted to broaden my knowledge of different bands. So rather than get Epilog, I got Sinkadus's Cirkus instead, after reading endless comparisons of Sinkadus to Anglagard (as well as some positive reviews of the album, from sources that I now know to consider... less than reliable).

The comparisons between the two bands are valid to an extent, as Sinkadus sounds like a caricature of Anglagard. The flute, mellotron, organ, and guitar work are pretty much all dead ringers for Anglagard (save for typically being less proficient), and the presence of Lena Pettersson's cello does little to create a distinctive sound. I can think of about a half-dozen jokes that I could use to hammer this point home, and most of them contain the word "Xerox". But I'll behave myself.

A derivative sound is far from being Sinkadus' worst failing, however. That distinct honor would have to go to the band's lack of compositional ability. The typical Sinkadus song (at least on this album) features the band endlessly repeating patterns with little modulation until the repetition becomes too much to bear. At that point, the band moves to a new pattern, and the cycle of pain begins again. While repetition can be a useful tool in creating a sense of drama, there are no such compelling effects to be found here. After repeated listening, the distinction between Anglagard and Sinkadus becomes crystal clear: where Anglagard is interesting and dynamic, Sinkadus is predictable and flat. Where Anglagard introduces new and captivating thematic material, Sinkadus continues to endlessly repeat the theme they're currently hooked on.

I can't say that I hate this album, because there are a number of parts that seem quite good. However, the band's insistence at running those parts into the ground really hampers my enjoyment. The biggest crime I would accuse Sinkadus of is wasted potential. I have a feeling that these guys and gals *could* be good, but they just don't know how to turn some good ideas into a full song. Some listeners may not mind the repetition, but I would highly suggest hearing them before you buy. - *Legion* [July 2001]