Panic waste little time getting this EP rollicking, with "Rise" clocking in at under a minute but sounding like a revved-up version of
AC/DC with
Bon Scott fronting the band and
Angus Young's boogie-riddled solo. From there,
Panic keep the intensity front and center during "Ramparts" that is a rampant and simple hardcore punk song with traces of metal, bringing to mind
Rancid in some respects. The longest track here on the 11-minute release is "Shadow Park" that starts off slow before moving into a crunchy, primal, and almost garage rock-like feel that moves slowly into an emo-like format. Other songs aren't exactly jaw-dropping or spectacular, just the sound of a band knowing what they do and doing it well during the high-energy
Sex Pistols-ish punk of "Hello Young Lions" which might be the highlight of the EP. Featuring former members of groups like
Trouble and
American Nightmare,
Circles is short but sweet, concluding with "The Wolves Circle the Wolves" that shows the group's promising punk metal prowess.