Cirkus Prütz – Manifesto (2025) – Review

Cirkus Prütz - Manifesto - Album Cover

‘Come back with more anytime, Cirkus Prütz, the door’s wide open’, screamed the RMR crew at the end of the Blues Revolution review. And we meant it. Because Manifesto‘s predecessor was a revelation. A journey back to times long gone. That thirsty feeling of a band playing in a saloon on a dusty highway while the tumbleweeds are rolling by.

And here the Prütz boyz are back in action with another bunch of gritty musings full of grinding rock ‘n’ roll. But – will they be able to recreate the vibe this here crew found so alluring? Well, first don yer boots, checkered shirts, and square sunglasses. Straight whiskey shots on barebone rocks.


The urge for new beginnings, that’s what drove Cirkus Prütz to finally churn out Manifesto at this time. Nomen est omen? Quite so because they didn’t want no old school blues piece anymore, nor should their new idea of rock turn into something sounding – and I quote – “…like an old blues album.” To get there, Jerry Prütz made a statement and got in cahoots with one Peter Tägtgren (Pain, Hypocrisy, ex Lindemann) to help with production and an abundance of ideas. As an aside, this guy actually wrote and enacted the material for Till Lindemann’s (Rammstein) side project and they produced two records together until the endeavor broke apart. But that would be fodder for a different article.

And while blues in its many forms still is the backbone and main staple of Manifesto,1 this new record seriously wanders onto other strange rocky shores. White Knuckle Blues – for instance – immediately reminded us why AC/DC should remain Hard Rock and not be called a Heavy Metal act.2 You’ll also find excursions into Heavy Rock and – astonishingly – country-laced Desert Rock. To the point that the fare on offer often crazily reminded this crew of old geezers of Elton John’s 1971 piece Tumbleweed Connection. High Noon3 on the RMR turntable? Quite so. And that’s an amazing performance from a band emerging from the cold Swedish North.

But it’s also a band that got back to basics. Manifesto sports some 37 minutes of airtime packed full of Christian Carlsson‘s gravelly vocals and outstanding guitar work. And let me point out the mindblowing solos that suddenly erupt from some strange arroyo in those dusty deserts (Drinking Muddy Water, for instance). And finally, the thunderous and ever-present merciless drum beats provide that backbone to hold this whole chebang together. Red-hot fare, in your face, and going straight for the jugular. In other words, Cirkus Prütz delivered a tightly written, lean piece of mean rock ‘n’ roll that won’t leave any room for fatty outcroppings. And that’s one major brownie point this here record brings to the turntable. Beautifully so.

So, what are the favorites on Manifesto? The brutal stomp of Drinking Muddy Water, Handyman Boogie, and – for sure – Pack Your Bags take this rocky cake. Closely followed by Living Like A God and the excellent Blues Rock piece Water into Wine. You’ll even find a quasi-copy of old rock pieces in ballad-like motions called Walking in the Rain. This means that the crop of good-to-great tracks truly outweighs the weaker parts of this record. Which is a success already in and of itself.

So, what about that aforementioned whiskey-fueled vibe? Cirkus Prütz always pasted a smile on yours truly’s face, and Manifesto is no different. This band surely won’t reinvent any wheel at all. But they bring you the mana true gritty rock is made of. Hard ‘n’ heavy, bluesy, or desert-infused pieces full of high-octane gasoline, grimy vocals, downturned beatz, and untamed caustic guitar work. That’s the sturdy fare these folk deliver, made by a band having fun doing it. But, in the end, the record couldn’t really avoid returning to its roots repeatedly. Or – as the band so succinctly put it: Manifesto is a blues rock album with many facets!”

‘Xactly.


Record Rating: 8/10 | LabelMetalville Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 18 April 2025

The Olde Footnote!
  1. A public declaration of intent, usually written by ideology-challenged organizations.-
  2. Spoiler alert, we do. And often. Haha! -Ed.-
  3. An age-old movie.-

Raid a comment or twenty!