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Written by Jim Campbell Wednesday, 11 July 2007 04:23

I was hoping "Commercial Break" would be interesting, full of eerie rhythms and non-sequitur lyrics, but once again the song seemed to ramble on with no point or meaning.

Sometimes "supergroups" just don't work—and Circus Diablo's debut disc is proof positive. The group, made up of the Cult's Billy Duffy, Fuel's Brett Scallions, and Guns N' Roses Matt Sorum, don't seem to have enough bite—or original guitar licks—to carry a whole album. Truth be told, Sorum was just the studio drummer who will be replaced by Slunt's Charles Ruggiero once the group hits the road on this year's Ozzfest. Additionally, Circus Diablo is fronted by Billy Morrison, who played bass for the Cult and guitar for Camp Freddy.

One would think a band that contains this many talented musicians would be able to produce a grade-A, kickass rock 'n' roll album, but no. Despite the high-octane, somewhat impressive lead off single, "Loaded" the rest of the album falls victim to clichéd guitar riffs, mind-numbing lyrics, and an unoriginal rhythm section. Normally, I would comment on some of the songs on the album, but there really isn't anything noteworthy to report; each track is more forgettable than the last. I was hoping "Commercial Break" would be interesting, full of eerie rhythms and non-sequitur lyrics, but once again the song seemed to ramble on with no point or meaning.

While some supergroups do work (i.e., Damn Yankees, Temple of the Dog, Velvet Revolver), Circus Diablo appears to be full of talented musicians who were bored and looking for something to do over the summer. With a plethora of other talented bands on the bill for this year's Ozzfest, Circus Diablo may get lost in the shuffle of other harder rocking bands. D | Jim Campbell