A pair of albums from this Australian punk/thrash outfit get the reissue treatment; these two being originally released in ’87 and ’88 respectively. Bands like Christ On Parade or Attitude Adjustment definitely come to mind, though, unfortunately, Vicious Circle doesn’t reach the stature of either of those bands. Mid-paced, punchy, with all the politics and overly dramatic musical missteps of the era included (the almost-funk vocal approach in “Deaf Ears” is kinda wince-worthy). I hate to say it, but a lot of this stuff sounds pretty dated. Which is too bad, because this is so clearly a massive labor of love: heavy-ass purple vinyl, full-color booklet with liner notes, lyrics, flyers, photos; there’s a clear reverence towards the original packaging and spirit. People sank a lot of heart and cash into this, and while it wasn’t for me, fans of the band and era will likely be very stoked. –Keith Rosson (Power It Up)