On their Nuclear Blast debut, this North Carolina four-piece experiment with combining the “conceptual polarities” of groove and prog metal to mixed results. Album opener Catch Your Breath finds vocalist Ben Beddick attempting to rap over a complex 9/8 time signature, which creates a discordant mess. However, once the band put that misstep behind them, they find a formula that works. Songs like Sight To Sound, Truthseeker and For The Birds sound like they could be long-lost Tool tracks, rerecorded with a contemporary metal production sheen. And while there’s little variation across the record, Stellar Circuits go a long way towards achieving their goal of creating a sound that’s equal parts gritty and spellbinding. ■■■■■■□□□□