THE 1ST CHAPTER

It's a good Album. Maybe excellent..But it's not my opinion.There are good prog songs and others are not so prog, not so interesting.They need more maturity (of course).We'll have to pay attention to their next album. The singer seems not very good at several moments. Should practise a little more his voice(like me and my e,glish..Gloups!) But for a first attempt, it's a good prog album, you should try it.

This album isnt really bad, have a nice groove expecially on the drum parts , but...hey , just from the strart you get the feeling to hear something not new. Something you have listened in others thousands cd's of prog metal ... this is not a problem closed to this band but of almost all the scene composed by various 'dreamtheater-wannabes'. So, this is my opinion: if you pass your time listening progressive metal , well you can buy it to enlarge your collection of cd's but if you NEED ( like me ^_^ ) something really ORIGINAL... well get away from this album! Bye

Philz

Great effort for a first album. These guys deserve all the props they can get. The opening track "Sin" establishes their ability to lay down thick and chunk chops when they want to. Superior vocals throughout, especially on "Why Am I Here." Truly epic tracks like "Glory of the Empire" and "Imperial Destruction" show that this band can do it all: vocals, thick chops, sweet lead work, and plenty of tempo changes to keep us prog lovers interested. Fans of the prog metal and power prog genres will not be disappointed. Hats off to the boys of CIRCUS MAXIMUS for a noteworthy first album. I'll quote one reviewer who summed up the album in two words, "Bloody Brilliant." Enjoy!

CIRCUS MAXIMUS exploded onto the Progressive Metal scene in 2005 with their debut, THE FIRST CHAPTER. From the first pounding riffs of the very varied (and most reminiscant of the prog metal greats) "Sin" to the last grandiose notes of "The First Chapter," they manage to create what may as well be the best progressive metal disk in several years. CIRCUS MAXIMUS has an outstanding amount of versatility. Mike Eriksen has a smooth and strong voice very well suited to prog, and he gets the chance to show it off on the rocker "Alive" and the very nice ballad "Silence From Angels Above". That's not to say the rest of the band aren't talentless either, and they get the chance to show it off on the instrumental "Biosfear," which is a great track, but what actually could be one of the top tracks on one album actually ends up being the worst here. This probably has something to do with the fact that on the other tracks, there is little to no instrumental showoff, and the band is at their best crafting their catchy vocal melodies and strong choruses.

For a first album, this is a very ambitious effort. CIRCUS MAXIMUS are not afraid though, and they crafted not one, but two amazing epic tracks in the form of "Glory of the Empire" and "The First Chapter." Glory of the Empire opens up with a nice acoustic guitar melody, and quickly turns into a monster of a track. Eriksen shines here, with his epic, sweeping vocals soaring over the killer guitar riffs and solid drumming. The background vocals are also great at the end of the track, I love the contrast this band has going on at times with the deep, almost chant-like backing vocals and Eriksen's strong and high voice. The effect is often spellbinding at times, as it is in the nearly twenty minute monster, "The First Chapter." Packed full of epic moments (the intro sounds a lot like something straight out of SYMPHONY X) and memorable vocal melodies, this is a track to remember.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS created an album for the record books with their debut, THE FIRST CHAPTER. Most bands will try their entire career to simply craft as many good songs as are included in this amazing debut. Highly recommended.

My dear prog friends, you can't imagine how good this album is. The history is amazing, it's about a gladiador that has to follow all tipes of paths until he reaches the Master Arena (the circus maximus). These guys made an excelent album, I advise all funs to buy it cause it's really good. If you guys want an example, this is their fist album and are already in the progpower metal festival in USA of these year. So far this is a masterpiece of prog metal...

Best regards my prog friends.

this album is amazing!!!!! a masterpiece imagine, take a bowl put 2 parts of symphony x, 1 part of dram theater, 1/2 cup os shadow gallery, and a spoon of liquid tension, mix them well, and it will equal to circus maximus the first chapter!! this album is so great especially for the fans of DT, SX, SG and LTE those 4 r my favorite bands!!

Nothing new in the music. When I was listening to it, I thought that it was too much like DREAM THEATER or SYMPHONY X, so you aren't going to get anything new from these guys. Just like a review I read before: I need some original music! And definitely, I'm not getting that from this band. That's why I think it's only a "Collectors/Fans only" album.

As originality is concerned, they suck. Although they displayed their great musicianship in this debut album, I still can't help comparing them to Dream Theater and Symphony X. Maybe it's cool to be compared with such bands but being another DT clone destroys their own identity or trade mark as a band. If you want to listen to a band which sounds Dream Theater and Symphony X combined then you should listen to this album.

The problem with this album is that it isn't original at all because their Dream Theater and Symphony X influences are extremely obvious. But other than that, it's not bad at all. The songwriting and the artistic skills of the musicians are on a decent level. Quite enjoyable, but non-essential. 2½ / 5

Well, what a joke... The vocals aren't bad they are just some kind of ennerving and don't really fit into the music. The style is too less self-contained. There are too many "inspired" things or even copied things. Listen to "Why am I here?"... Strangely it sounds the same as Symphony X's "Wicked"... Oh NO! They've changed the speed... And then "The 1st Chapter"... You feel more than reminded of Symphony X's "The Odyssey"..., Biosfear with the obvious beginning of Dream Theater's "Dance of Eternity". All in all it's a mixture of numerous progmetal-bands, the most obvious are Symphony X, Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The Album is not such flop but it's too poorly conceived yet but I think with the time they'll find their own style.

Circus Maximus is a progressive metal band formed by the Haugen brothers, who appear on guitar (Mats) and Drums (Trus), Mats' old school buddy Glen Moller on bass, Michael and the mastermind Espen Storo on keyboards. They're from Norway, who has given us great progressive bands like Ark and Pagan's Mind, for example.

Circus Maximus is a superb band with a large variety of influences such as 70's progressive rock, heavy metal and even death metal, all of which are melted to form a unique sound. This creates a mixture of great heavy riffs, consistent melodies with many modulations, and odd time signatures, a very characteristic detail of progressive music.

Michael's voice is outstanding, it reminds me of Nils K. Rue (Pagan's Mind), which is good and also of Frank Mendez (Zero Hour), especially in the first track. Its sound, as I mentioned above, is unique, even with DT influences. The musicianship is amazing, a superb mixture of hard-rock and classic rock with prog elements inspired by 70's prog greats.

This is Circus Maximus's first full length album, and what a good way to start! This album is very technical and very progressive. You can notice the great education of these musicians and the evolution of Norwegian prog metal. The album starts with the strong opener "Sin" which prepares us for a great album. "Alive" is an amazing song (my favorite of this album) and its intro reminds me of DT's "Caught in a Web." "Glory of the Empire" is this album's first epic and its intro is soft and beautiful. "Biosfear" is the instrumental song; here we can hear strong Dream Theater influences. The ballad of this album is the beautiful "Silence from Angel Above." "Why Am I Here" and "The Prophecy" are two good but not outstanding songs which are followed by de magnum-epic "The 1st Chapter" followed by the closer, another good song, "Haunted Dreams" (I have the European version).

This album is definitely recommended to all metal fans, not only for progressive fans but also to everyone else, I can ensure you will love this album. I haven't given a perfect rating to any album, just to Dream Theater's Images & Words.

Killing Songs: "Alive" (The best song of this album), "Glory of the Empire," "Biosfear" and "The 1st chapter."

Circus Maximus in their debut album don't seem to impress me very much.This album is an example of mix between Symphony X and Shadow Gallery.All guitar riffs and keyboards are good but very close to Symphony Xs' songs, i mean heavy riffs and oriental structures of music.On the other hand there's Shadow Gallery's verve, Great chorus and good melodies.Good album but i've expected something new not something that i've listened yet.

This is Circus Maximus' debut album. It features a sound very much like Symphony X's and Dream Theater's sound, but manages to stay brilliant. Ignore all the negative, bashing reviews of Circus Maximus above me and read this one.

We first start off with their epic, The First Chapter. It is a brilliant 19 minute track that sounds somewhat like the Odyssey, but still manages to stay original-sounding. The track goes around Neo-Classical orchestrations and brilliant instrumentations that at times surpass what a Neo-Classical powerhouse like Symphony X and Adagio can do. This is perhaps one of my favorite tracks released this year along with Lazarus, Octavarium, Ghost of Perdition and among others. This is a very special song and shows promise in this Norwegian Progressive Power Metal band.

Now Let's look at all the individual songs:

1. Sin- A very good, heavy opener with a very good NeoClassical solo passage. Catchy and heavy at the same time. 4/5

2. Alive- This is where the obvious "Power Metal" influence comes in, the chorus sounds very catchy and powerful at the time. The singer is no Russell Allen ( Symphony X) , but gets the job done very well. 4/5

3.Glory of The Empire- This song is the other epic in this album. It measures about 10 minutes long and during its time, it manages to bring us off into a new land. Great song 5/5

4. Biosfear- A great little instrumental here, highly reminiscent of parts of Metropolis and the Dance of Eternity, but without all the solos. 5/5

5. Silence From the Angels Above 4/5

6. Why Am I Here 3/5

7. The Prophecy 3/5

8. The First Chapter 5/5

9. Imperial Destruction- A great ending tune, somewhat like Symphony X's Divine Wings of Tragedy. 3/5

This album might lack amazing vocals and original songwriting, but it isn't a bad album at all. In fact, this album might be one of the top 10 Prog releases of this year. Great album and we see a great future with them.

Every song on this album is absolutely amazing.

The truth is, I hated this album on my first two listens but as time progressed and I listened more and more to it (after I was about to give up on it completely) I realised "hey, this ain't so bad!" and I just kept listening to it over and over again. Now I listen to it at least once or twice a day in it's entirety.

This band is on a par with Dream Theater at the moment for me. That's a BIG achievement for these guys seeing as no other band has got to a par with DT with me.

I personally agree 100% with Shane Davis [whom I am not related to in any way nor do I know a Shane Davis] and Roberto Solano.

Thankyou Circus Maximus!

Great!! I am a Dream Theater fan and I love progressive, epic, metal, ecc. The first impression I had listening Circus Maximum's first album was: very good!! Their sound is quite close to Dream Theater's for me, so was not so difficoult to bring Circus Maximum with me in my car, with my favourite car audio collection!!

My favourite songs are the first four of the album: Haunted Dreams, Sin, Alive, Glory of the Empire.

Bye from Rome!!!!

I don't believe it was in their mind to reinvent prog metal when they made this album. And they haven't done that either. One the other hand I certainly think that this is a very strong debut album that they are showing the prog metal fans. Indeed it's reminding us of DREAM THEATER and SYMPHONY X from time to time but what's wrong with that? To be compared with two of the best band in the genre must be a great honour. And if you have been listening to DREAM THEATER half the time I have, you should know that they are no copycats. But of course I admit the fact that sounds very similar a lot of the time. Technically it's almost perfect, the production is superb. The potential for the band is certainly in place and I hope they will mature even more on their next album. Overall this is a very good album and a very promising debut. We will wait in excitement for the next album and see if they will get some new influences with their new keyboard player as the old one is quitting!

This sounds like a very strong debut to me and i'm going to be listening very closely for the follow up. Dream Theater and Symphony X are two very different sounding bands, both who could feel justifiably proud of a new album like this. I think anyone attempting to combine such influences shoud be commended on audacity alone; but this grand effort amounts to more than that intriguing melting pot. It really does deserve repeat listens. If you're still skeptical just put it on as background now and then while you're concentrating on something else entirely: i'm sure you'll change your mind. Don't feel guilty when you hear it in your mind's ear at the unlikeliest of moments. Don't feel surprise when Arjen Lucassen invites band members to play on his next opus. Originality often depends on as little as not having heard the derivations. Circus Maximus dare to build on ambitious foundations, make the vital progressive steps, and deserve all the appreciation they get for this near classic statement of intentions. Bravo!

Well first off i was kinda weirded out to hear that a band was named Circus Maximus let alone found out they were prog metal. I was afraid it was gonna be one of them weird bands that would have nothing but circus sounds BOY I'M GLAD I WAS WRONG haha this CD IS AWESOME probably one of my favorite albums in my collection. I have heard some people say that it sounds like dream theater or symphony x and its not original but ya know what i think. IMHO if you can find a way to play the exact same stuff as DT or SX can play I APPLAUD because that's hard as crap to play anyway this cd wow it blows me away everytime i listen to it. There is tons of great melodic stuff and great metal stuff but also the prog is unbelievable. Basically i think about every song is great on this album especially THE FIRST CHAPTER (song) wow what an epic. 5 STARS for this puppy

Definitely the big surprise of 2005 this young band from Norway. The album was probably the best album which was released during 2005 along with Octavarium.

The band combines influences of Dream Theater,Symphony X and TNT but still keeps writing a fresh and unique prog metal. The music is very melodic. All the songs in this album are really good, especially Alive,Glory of the Empire, Biosfear. No member of the band is dominant than the others and that's what makes the album so good, the balance between the musicians.

All the black metal bands in Norway should be afraid, as the prog metal is getting stronger!!!

I have mixed emotions about this album. As stated in previous reviews, the Dream Theater and Symphony X parallels are blatently obvious, but for some reason one can look past that and enjoy this album none the less. What Circus Maximus have given us is a truly enjoyable prog-metal album. Every now and then one hears a phrase or solo lifted straight from a DT os Symphony X song, but overall the sound is entirely Circus Maximus. I think what makes this more enjoyable for myself are the vocals of one Mike Eriksen. He has a unique voice that not only fits the music, but can appeal to metal heads, proggers, and a mainstream audience. The instrumentalist here are, like many prog-metal bands, top notch. With a plethora of solos, insrumental breaks, driving guitars, soft keyboardl passages, these guys prove that they can play. But unlike other bands of the genre, Circus Maximus have enough reserve to know when and where to place shred guitar solos and speedy keboard passages without having them dominate the music. The entire album moves from heavy riffage to ballad to complete epics (Glory of the Empire, The 1st Chapter). The songs are brilliantly composed, changing from heavy passages to acoustic interludes, altering moods, tempo time signatures, and the like creating an enjoyable listen in a true prog fashion. I highly recommend this album.

The trouble I have with prog-metal is that so many bands in the genre often descend into too much metal and not enough prog with tracks that could be from any decent metal album. Circus Maximus avoid this failing. Although they produce metal sounds as heavy as anyone, the prog factor is high, especially with the intelligent use of keyboards. There is not a poor track on this cd but 'Sin'(which includes a superb guitar solo),'Biosfear'(a dizzyingly varied instumental) and 'The 1st Chapter'(a marvellous symphonic epic reminiscent at times of Symphony X) are outstanding. In my opinion this is what prog metal is all about.

Surfing on the web the past year, I discovered a new Prog Metal band from Norway which had a lot of recognition on some websites, Circus Maximus. So, I decided to check out what they do. First of all, the feeling I have about this band (and most of new Prog Metal bands) is that I wasn't hearing something new. Some people call this bands 'Dream Theater-wannabes'. Well, I think it's not something new or original (as some reviews said before) but it's very well played and the musicianship is great. Obviously, they need more maturity. The voice is good, not excellent, but decent. The really evident influences are DT, Symphony X and a bit of Shadow Gallery. It has lots of tempo changes to keep us prog lovers interested, and the songs are very accesible despite of they're very technical, and after a few listenings, you get into their music. Here's the description track by track: "Sin" is the first song I've heard from this band (on their website). Exellent track, it really blew up my head !! Very á la Dream Theater style. The arabian melody at the beggining is nice. I like on the middle of the song, when they do diferent rhytms with the use of double bass drum pedal and heavy guitar; followed by a very well done guitar solo, close to Petrucci's sound. The chorus is very cathy. Nice baggining to the album.

"Alive" is the second song I heard on their website. More commercial than the first one. Some power metal influences are evident here. The first pre-chorus is very nice, as the keyboard at the end.

"Glory Of The Empire", the first epic of the album (10 minutes). It really reminds me of Symphony X's "The Accolade". The intro is excellent, quiet, with acoustic guitar and nice keyboards. The becomes more heavier, and enters the vocals. Very melodic mid-tempo chorus. The guitar solo, again very good and renovated. I think the choir vocals "For the glory of the empire" at the end do not fit so much with the song, but overall, good mid-tempo song.

The instrumental "Biosfear" has a very close sound to DT's "Dance Of Eternity". Starts heavy and fast (headbanging,yeah !!). FULL of tempo changes and a lot of melodys and solos 'taken' from Dream Thater. The problem with this is, that this song is TOO MUCH DT, despite of the pricipal guitar solo seems like Romeo has done it. A lot of shredding here !! Those who like this like me might like this song.

The quiet acoustic ballad comes, "Silence From Angels Above". Well, it's a bit depressing ... but beautiful and very melodic. It has computer drum at the end, a thing that surprised me. The vocal performance is very good.

"Why Am I here" .... well, I do not like this song, except for the heavy metal beggining. It seems this one was done to sell out, specially for the chorus.

"The Prophecy" starts quiet, acoustic, with nice piano. Here it reminds me of DT's "Voices". Then, from a moment to another, it goes very heavy. Nice song (up to this moment), because then comes that stupid commercial chorus !! I don't know why they decided to put here a childy chorus, that destroys the track. The solos are great and give me a feeling of hope.

The 19 minutes epic "The First Chapter", comes next. The intro seems like it was taken from a Symphony X epic, with a lot of keyboards and I can hear a bass fiddle there !! I must say THIS PART is original, in difference of the rest of the CD. The rest is basically different parts, with very good vocals. Great solos, as is usual in an epic. Really, the song finishes at 17 minute, but in the two last minutes there is some (cartoon) music from cicus or a park of diversions, and then a crowd of people applauding, really bizarre situation !!

The bonus track "Imperial Destruction" is another song in the style of the first ones, but more rocker.

Overall, if you want to hear something original, keep away from this; but if you want to hear good musicians playing hard prog music in the style of the main Prog Metal bands, buy this. I give it 3 stars because of, as I said before, is that I wasn't hearing something new, so I consider it "Good but non-essential" I'll have to pay attention to their next album. Recommended for Prog Metal fans.

Rating: 3.2/5

Is it really the 1st Chapter?

Circus Maximus' The 1st Chapter is the debut work this Norwegian quintet. The 1st Chapter, may be a misleading title. While it is the first work from the band, it sounds much too much like other bands in this genre. On the positive side, the quality of musicianship for the most part, is well above average competing with those bands that they take so much influence from. The 1st Chapter is well rounded in it's technique, variation, and composing, but it fails to strike a listener as a unique work worth listening to over and over again. Fans of Dream Theater and Pagan's Mind may appreciate this album, or turn away in disgust of the lack of creativity.

Mats Haugen's work on guitar stands out as the finest work on the album. Haugen has much in common with his playing with Pagan's Mind guitarist Jorn Viggo Lofstad. Like Lofstad, Haugen is a Norwegian virtuoso that posesses extraordinary technique. Haugen also exhbits quite a bit of control never getting too much in the face of the listener. Haugen's guitar tones do not directly copy that of his other Norwegian counterpart, making his contribution somewhat refreshing.

Mike Eriksen, the vocalist is much like Haugen. The vocal work throughout this album, especially on the twenty minute epic, The 1st Chapter, is great. Eriksen sings in a variety of ranges and tempos. His sustain is admirable never falling out of key. Eriksen takes a bit too much from his influences (i.e. James LaBrie). There is a lot of potential here. With a different style of mixing or a different setting to the music, Eriksen may excel as a very talented vocalist.

Espen Storo is the keyboardist. I can almost guarantee that Dream Theater's Awake is a tone bank on his synth. Storo exhibits a heavy Kevin Moore influence, so heavy a listener may feel he is listening to Images and Words or Awake. Storo takes many pages out of Moore's book, so many he can full a listener that Kevin Moore is playing on the album. There are times I had to check the booklet to make sure Kevin Moore wasn't a guest keyboardist. Someone who takes so much of Moore's tone also backs it up with matching tone with skill. Storo exhibits a great sense of melody throughout the album just as Kevin Moore did in his Dream Theater days.

Truls Haugen slaps the skins. That means he's the drummer ;). Haugen has some very creative beats and shows great control on his bass drum. He may be the most distinctive part of the band. His cymbals have excellent tone, and he uses his hi-hat in some unique ways. He's rock solid on the beat, and steals the show as far as the rythymn section.

The only complaint I have regarding technique is that of bass player Glen Mollen. Mollen fails to impress my ears, especially on heavier compositions. Mollen is too stuck on root not breakdowns, and rarely supports melody on heavier compositions. His performance and chemistry on softer tunes is much more acceptable. He flows with the chords is much more creative fashions.

The production is excellent, but unoriginal. They may have been going for a very Dream Theater/Pagan's Mind esque sound, and they nailed. This personally seems a little cheap to me, almost like a production cheat. Everything is clear and balanced, but there are no tones that my ears lust for. The keyboards are as I mentioned earlier taken directly from Dream Theater's Awake, generally speaking.

It's not a bad album, it just doesn't sound original and creative.

It's been a while since I first listened to this record. After numerous and careful listenings, I'm now able to deliver a review without being bothered by the discovery's emphasis.

There's just one thing I can say : these guys have a bright future ahead of 'em. The First Chapter is, put simply, the most exciting debut album since Dream Theater's WDADU and Shadow Gallery epnoymous first release. From the unique musicianship to Mike's over-the- top vocals, this record is packed with ferocious energy.

"Sin" is a great opener, and although the intro riff never fails to remind me of DT's This Dying Soul (especially the drum pattern), the song soon bear the Cm touch : melodic variations, tempo changes and confusing unisons - all that you could look for in prog metal. It is also the first song to deliver a catchy chorus, which is gonna become a trademark for the band.

"Alive" could have been a perfect single. It flows easily between mid-tempo ballad-like parts and speed, astounding solo parts, and features once again some really nice choruses, Mike being followed and sustained by Truls. The song is perfectly crafted, not too long, not too short, and manages to keep a cool balance between heaviness and melody.

"The Glory Of The Empire" is the first epic of the album. Ten minutes of trip, revolving around Gladiator, the award-winning movie that, I assume, everyone knows. The lyrics are great here, and fits nicely to this great progressive piece. There's nothing I could add : if you liked the movie, you'll definetely like this song. Otherwise, it still remains a great track, although not being my favorite.

"Biosfear" is a DT-like instrumental - I can already hear people yelling that they just copied DT sound. That's true - but who cound complain when it's done so brilliantly? Bisofear is basically a DT tribute to me, and Circus Maximus being a young band, they surely listened (and keep listening, maybe) to DT a lot during the 90's. This is no shameful, blatant copy : this instrumental track actually prevents the band from over-soloing the other songs, and that's good. Anyway, if you wish to hear what they can do, technically, this one's for you. I repeat : brilliant. The ending unison crescendo is awesome.

"Silence From Angels Above" is TFC ballad. A cool, slow song - definetely not my type. It's well-written, well-played but fails to hit me like it should have. The only "bad" song to me on this album; nevertheless, far better than what other bands do nowadays. Maybe this one will get better when performed live... Time will tell.

"Why Am I Here?" let the band get back to some more heavy stuff. The opening is fast- paced and loud. Nice keyboard parts here, and Mike's still overwhelming. His voice never fades behind the music. Once again, the catchy chorus (some may say "cheap"... let them what they want) is on for a single-like touch. But the numerous breaks and changes of rythm DO add the progressive part, making this song a really great one, far from what you could expect after just a one-minute listen. The ending solos are damn good.

"The Prophecy" is a long, atmospheric piece that starts with a delicate acoustic guitar part that goes along a soft piano theme : beautiful intro. Mike's voice is really nice here, never too high, keeping a warm feeling all the way through. The lyrics are great. Then it goes back to heaviness for a while. Again, a "commercial" chorus that may disturb many, but not me. It feels just perfect for the song's overall mood. There are some beautiful keyboard parts inside the heavy moments, before a great ending solo once again. Then some last words, cycling with the opening ones, for a nice "story-telling" effect, like you just read a book and now are closing it before going to sleep. Really cool.

"The First Chapter" is the monster here. 19 minutes of incredibly progressive metal! A long intro featuring great drumming succeeds in engulfing the listener in CM's universe. Mike's vocals lift off all of sudden, starting a trip in a fantasy world... But is this fantasy? As far as music can provide entertainement : YES. You think that long songs are either boring or full of fillers? Try this one for a change. TFC is AWESOME. From beginning to end, this track alone defines CM's style : epic, glorious at times, heavy, appealling to your dreams. I better not let myself go on this one, as there is just TOO MUCH to say. Just give it a try... The song ends with carnivale-like music box sounds, really nice. A beautiful ending.

There a bonus song to really put an end to the record. Either called "Haunted Dreams" or "Imperial Destruction", it was only a bonus to european editions. A obviously Metallica- inspired track, but still feels good to hear. Mike sounds just like James at moments, and that's cool too, since James is just the shadow of himself these days.

It's about time I conclude. Circus Maximus is a young, talented and promising band. Keep that name in mind, for they may become the new prog-metal legends around here... Check the studio demos on their official website : you'll see for yourselves. The new songs sound great already. The rare live bootlegs also show that CM CAN play live, especially Mike who is an outstanding vocalist, one of the best nowadays. Lasse, who replaced Espen on keyboards shortly after the album release, is already getting the feel, both in studio (the unisons're gonna be great!) and on stage, where he performs like he was in the band from the start.

I decently can't give them less than 5 stars. This is a DEBUT ALBUM... Simply ass-kicking. Let's say, 4.5 stars rounded up.

Val

Well, not original but really good, that's my summary of this record. With great variety and skills and the sound of DT and Symphony X this would have been a 5 if it brought something new, but it doesn't. On the other hand, if you like "classical" prog metal you won't be disapointed. Of course, you will think "Where did I hear this before?" a couple of times, but the album still has enough variety to make it worthwhile listening to.

I'm really looking forward to the next album. They have the potential to be a really good band, but they would need to look for something new and not be afraid to exploer new ways to present their music.

An excellent cross between Dream Theater and Symphony X, you can hear the influence from both of the bands. Circus Maximus has some good heavy rhythms to dish out on this album and presents alot of potential for thier heavy metal progressive career. They have plenty of room for improvement but also jumped off to an exceptional start! They have some good epics such as The First Chapter, a good 19 minutes of metal. Glory of the Empire is by far the best song on the album and also includes a cool ballad with other really, really good hard hits. An impressive bonus track and plenty of music that wont let you down. If your trying for something between Dream Theater and Symphony X, then give these studs a listen. They have that satisfying power metal but also good melody and excellent riffs. Good muscians on the start. 4/5 stars for the Circus Maximus, they've got a good start and are going far!

An excellent chapter to embark the band's musical career .!

If I judge this album by its cover, I might have thought that this is an album by a band similar to ARENA. Why? It's because of the cover artwork which reminds me to the cover artwork of ARENA "The Visitor" album. But .. I knew this album after I'm satisfied with the band's second album "Isolate" which sounds excellent, musically, to my ears. Well, as I understand from Circus Maximus "Isolate" album I can then predict the kind of music presented by this band. The album has good "drive" and "enthusiasm" for the music that the band has made. The opening track "Sin" (5:53) is definitely an excellent track with great combination of riffs, melodic singing as well as tempo changes. The guitar solo in the middle of the track is cool. The next track "Alive" (5:38) brings the music in similar vein with its opening track but in slower (a bit) tempo. The transition pieces presented by keyboard work is quite interesting.

"Glory of the Empire" (10:27) gives a very nice break with an acoustic guitar work accompanied by bass guitar and keyboard. The long introduction completely ignores the perception that this is a progressive metal band because the first 2 minutes is like any symphonic prog music. But after minute 2 the music moves in crescendo and vocal enters the music followed beautifully with piano work. Now the music is like a combination of prog metal and symphonic music. It's a nice composition and I like the vocal quality. "Biosfear" (5:22) is completely a prog metal tune with fast tempo and pulsating keyboard work as well as guitar riffs and melody. The style of the music changes dramatically from one segment to another which makes this album is "prog" in nature. It's an excellent instrumental track.

"Silence from Angels Above" (4:07) starts beautifully with nice acoustic guitar fills which later accompanies vocal line in low register notes. It's quite odd actually because until previous track te vocal line was performed in high register notes. But this album has powerful melody and chorus line which is nice to enjoy. There is some work of mellotron-like sound. "Why Am I Here" (6:05) brings the music back into its uplifting mode with its progressive metal style.

The title track "The 1st Chapter" (19:08) offers a music in prog metal vein with many changes in style and tempo at the opening part followed with music in symphonic style. The music flows wonderfully and the vocal line enters only after minute 4 of the song. The combined work of guitar riffs, pulsating keyboard work, dazzling drums and powerful vocal line has made this song attractive, especially for those who like Dream Theater, Symphony X, Kamelot, etc. The piano solo in the middle of the track is nice, influenced by classical music. It's an excellent track to conclude the album. My version has additional track "Imperial Destruction" (6:30) (exclusive bonus track for Europe).

Overall, it's a truly excellent progressive metal album with tight composition and heavily influenced by classical music. Much of the arrangement reminds me to the prog met bands like Dream Theater and Symphony X. Highly recommended. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Maybe the best prog metal album in the year 2005!A true masterpiece!A hymn in complicated,technical,well orchestrated and keyboard/guitar dominated music!And an excellent voice,one of the best I have ever heard...Try ''The 1st chapter''...Maybe the album which even the gods of prog DREAM THEATER would be proud of makin'...

Circus Maximus first album the 1st Chapter came as a surprise to me, as I had never heard of the band before, and I´m usually pretty well informed.

The music that is featured on the album is high quality Prog metal with heavy leanings toward Dream Theater but with a power metal edge ( especially the choruses). Now I like when people make the kind of music they really want, in this case I just feel that there is no originality in the music and if you listen to a song like SIN it almost sound like Dream Theater´s New Millinium other places they sound like Symphony X. But you can´t take away from these guys that they can play and sing. As such there is nothing wrong with the compositions either, I just feel they lend to much from others.

As I understand it their new album should be a little darker in the sound, which I am looking forward to. I hope they in time will find their own style within this extremely overcrowded genre.

Good but not essential. If you are a Dream Theater or Symphony X fan who can´t get enough, this might be something for you.

I would give to this album all the five stars, but they miss in some originality, but still, they made a very unique album, whit theyre own sound.

The album has a sound like the "Metropolis pt 2", but with some differences: as MP2 likes to use the "solos", this album likes more the "band" sound, this albums uses to be play with all the band playing around, no just the guitar with all the rest in second place, sometimes, they do, but it is not in most of the album, just parts; this album is a fresh sound in the prog metal genre because shows that even with the a sound already created, you can create a new piece of art.

Just 4 stars because they used another band's sound, but still doing it great!m highly recommended to anyone who liked MP" and wants more of that sound, but without hearing just a copy, but a new way to play it.

Circus Maximus - The 1st Chapter 3.8 stars

This is one of the few bands that actually deserve the title of 'DT-Clones', but don't forget to put a huge portion of Symphony X in there too. The line-up consists of Michael Eriksen on vocals, Mats Haugen on guitar, Truls Haugen on drums, Espen Storø on keys and finally Glen Cato Møllen on bass. This album is a perfect mix of Scenes and The Odyssey, done exceptionally well. The guitar and keyboard sound will blow you away; the solos are very crafty once again reminiscent of Symphony X and Dream Theater. The thing I liked most about this band was obviously a perfect blend of the aforementioned bands, but also they unique melodies and excellent chorus work done. The singer in particular is one of the reasons why the choruses sound so exuberant. He has a pretty decent voice even though he sings in a sort of power metal vein, but not the bad kind. Even on my least favorite tracks on the album, I still find the chorus work done to be stellar. There are two tracks in particular that too similar to Dream Theater and Symphony X tracks. 'Biosphere' as exactly like 'The Dance of Eternity' and the title track is so very similar to 'The Odyssey'. Still 'Biosphere' was an excellent instrumental while the title track was very lacking.

Most of the songs on here are very well done and composed. There are still a few tracks that don't hold too much steam, but there is nothing too terrible about this album, except possibly the title track. Otherwise every song on the album is pretty good and then there are some that are really kick-ass. I would recommend this to any fans of Dream Theater and Symphony X.you'll find something nice on this one. Prog-metal fans in general shouldn't be too afraid to get this either. If you are a DT hater stay far away, you'll hate this one too and if not a prog-metal fan in general, then look the other way.

I'm looking very forward to the second chapter. This was a great album.

'The 1st Chapter' - Circus Maximus (7/10)

This was quite a shock. Few bands release actual masterpieces that rank up there were the other essentials of the genre. Circus Maximus has somehow managed to do this on their first time up to bat, and 'The 1st Chapter' is certainly a record that vies for that title.

What more could one want from a progressive metal record? There are strange time signatures, virtuosic performances, fast songs, short songs, and of course; an epic to top it off. Keeping in mind that the members of this band were all in their early-mid twenties at the time of making this album, you have to wonder, 'how the hell did they manage this?'

Mike Eriksen (the vocalist) was a singer who's voice I loved from the second I heard it, and is the heart and soul of the band. He's a vocalist I honestly find sharper and more elegant than even alot of the prog metal greats, such as Russell Allen (Symphony X) or even James LaBrie (Dream Theater.)

Circus Maximus, while obviously not being completely ground breaking in terms of style (they bear striking similarities to Symphony X in terms of musical style and content) but they inject something into the music that seems to have been long forgotten in the progressive metal world; melody. The centre of their songs is always in the melody, and that really helps to enrich their music in a genre that runs the risk of becoming dry.

A young classic. I can only say I am excited to see what they release in the future.

I had a lot of fun with this release this past week. This is Prog-Metal but we get a taste of Power-Metal at times, although for me this is more about being melodic, epic and technical. It's just a blast to listen to. This Norweigian band thanks fellow Norwegian's PAGAN'S MIND in the liner notes.They make a good pair. This was recorded in various studios in Norway then mixed at "Jailhouse Studios" in Denmark by Tommy Hansen. I have to mention how good the lyrics are on this album as well.

"Sin" has this heavy and oh so impressive intro. Vocals a minute in, keys a minute later. Nice and heavy again 3 1/2 minutes in followed by a fantastic guitar solo. Cool lyrics too. "Alive" sounds really good when it settles and the reserved vocals come in.The guitar / drum melody sounds amazing 3 1/2 minutes in and at 4 minutes. "Glory Of the Empire" is probably my favourite song on here. Again just reading the lyrics is a treat.The intro is laid back and we get some outstanding atmosphere. It starts to get powerful 2 minutes in. Great sound ! It settles somewhat as vocals come in. Synths and piano come and go. A brief calm arrives after 6 minutes then check out the guitar solo after 7 1/2 minutes as the heaviness returns. "Biosphere" is the only instrumental on here. Thunderous drums come in quickly followed by a nice guitar led section before a minute. Some good variety in this one. "Silence From Angels Above" opens with thunder and rain as acoustic guitar comes in followed by vocals. This is a ballad-like tune but I like it.

"Why Am I Here" is ohhh so heavy but it settles when the vocals arrive but it's still crunchy. Love the chorus. "The prophesy" opens with strummed guitar and reserved vocals. Piano after a minute. It gets heavy before 2 1/2 minutes then settles back 2 minutes later with piano. It's heavy again. Haha. "The 1st Chapter" is the 19 minute closer ! This is a ride folks.Orchestral intro is blown away by ripping guitar, synths and drums 2 minutes in. Vocals 4 1/2 minutes in. Very heavy 6 1/2 minutes in as vocals stop. A calm before 9 minutes with piano and reserved vocals. Kicks back in before 10 1/2 minutes. Tasteful guitar after 11 minutes. Great sound before 13 1/2 minutes. Vocals follow. A circus-like melody ends it.

I can't give this less than 4 stars. Excellent musicianship and lyrics, besides like I said earlier this is too much fun.

A good debut album by Circus Maximus with great musicianship. But I have to agree with some reviews before me that the music is all to familiar and can be an underwhelming experience if you have already heard things like Symphony X and Dream Theater before it as it takes almost all of it's influence from. This being said there are good songs that are outside of the mould the rest of the album follows. Biosfear is the highlight of the album for me, an experimental instrumental with Frank Zappa like unisons and interesting keyboard sounds. Silence from the Angels Above is also a great track, an acoustic song with some great ideas in it. To criticise this album is a bit unfair but it could have done with a lot more originality that some tracks on the album showed they do have in them. The song 'Alive' really is an unnecessary inclusion for me, the keyboard sounds and repetitive riffing would have felt more at home on an Avenged Sevenfold album than this attempt at a Progressive Metal or Symphonic Metal (neither the listener nor the musicians can decide which) album.

Negatives out of the way this album is very well executed, the a-for mentioned musicianship really is fantastic offering some great things to make any prog fan lick their lips. If you are a Symphony X and Dream Theater fan definitely get this one because you will love it.

Circus Maximus is a group that I approached with a little of hesitation, both because most of the post-1990 metal leaves me uninterested, if not disgusted (yes, I'm still stuck in the 80s when it comes to Metal, I must admit), and because some confused and superficial listening I gave made them appear to me as a botched copy of Dream Theater. Since, however, you do not judge what you do not know, I decided to give "The 1st Chapter" a full listen, which debunked some ideas I had about them and confirmed others.

The disc opens with "Sin", where immediately appears the appreciation that the group has for Scenes From a Memory. Here, however, the clear DT-ish influences are proposed in a more melodic way, with pieces that remind me of Sonata Artica (that I don't really like), and a brilliant voice that "fits perfectly" with the music.

"Alive" carries on with the style of the first song: a modern symphonic metal, not surely my cup of tea, but that never appears banal, thanks to the progressive elements. The timbre of the singer also reminds me a lot of Midnight, the voice of Crimson Glory (progressive metal band of the 80s) who died in 2009.

It's the turn of "The Glory of the Empire", where I can hear a lot of Symphony X'V reminiscences. Yes, this band doesn't appear to be very innovative and original, and this may be an issue for somebody, but I usually judge a group by the music it offers, not on the degree of originality or innovation. There is nothing wrong to pay tribute to a band or a genre you like, if this generates good music. With Biosfear we have a 5 minutes instrumental track. If you didn't know Circus Maximus were originally a Dream Theater cover band, after listening to this song it will appear to you as clear as daylight. Seriously, here the legacy of our friends from New York gets quite obvious, but this instrumental is very well played (the whole album has a fine technique in it) and very enjoyable, for sure the best track so far. Yes, because we also have some nice Zappa-flavoured solos in this Beyond This Life, and the group... Oh wait.

"Silence From Angels Above" is the model of song I usually skip, as it includes sounds that, as I said, just do not belong to me, even if I recognise the quality of the track and the ability of the singer on this type of song.

Let's go back on track with what I consider one of the best songs on the album, "Why Am I Here". Here the whole group, especially the guitarist Mats Haugen, shows his appreciation for an album called Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, by a little-known group from New York. The song is, as mentioned above, one of my favorites in here, since it is melodic but in a way I really like, and, though it's not King Crimson, it appears pretty inspired and fresh.

The quality raises again with "The Prophecy", a very good guitar-voice intro that leads into one of the best pieces I've ever heard among this genre, with an almost pop/AOR chorus and a great arrangement full of prog elements. After an average start, these two songs appear like fresh air, and ... here comes the epic! Every note of the first 4 minutes of "1st Chapter" shouts "Symphony X" loud right in my ears, but I decide to carry on listening not caring about them. In fact the song is pretty good, though not being so awesome as I expected from a 19 min-long title track. The song flows for his entire duration without particularly capturing my mind, and leaves me a bit disappointed after two very good songs. Good track, with few interesting points, but quite average overall. The last song on the album, "Imperial Destruction", has a very interesting initial riff, but fails to amaze me. I don't know what to write about this, just an average song.

So, listening to "The 1st Chapter", as I said earlier, has led some denials and some confirmations in me. Originality does not appear as a main quality of the group (or, at least, in this album), that shows a sound very inspired by late 90s/00s progressive metal (where Dream Theater and Symphony X are the biggest examples). Of course, everyone has their influences, the band never falls completely in plagiarism, and although sometimes these "tributes" to their beloved bands may seem annoying, I think in most cases they just make the album more enjoyable to those who are already accustomed to certain type of music. However, in addition to the strong progressive element, this album owes much to a certain type of (mostly scandinavian) melodic metal, that unfortunately reduces my appreciation to the whole work, but this is my opinion and the songs are well written and played, so if you like this type of metal more than me you will surely enjoy this debut a lot. About me, "The 1st Chapter" does not appears certainly in my top 20, but when I'm in a modern-styled melodic prog metal mood, it's able to give me 70 minutes of enjoyable music. Despite my jokes about their similarity with Dream Theater and Symphony X, I don't consider C.M. a clone of this or that band and I think a 3.5 stars rating will be appropriate.

Promising debut from melodic power proggers in Circus Maximus. Production could use more range, and album does have some cute growth issues (youth maximalism), such as let's-outdo-everybody instrumental (which is actually not bad) and lets-write a 20- minute epic at all costs (which comes across as a poor Symphony X copy). But the album displays a supreme sense of melody, which usually take a couple of albums for other bands to achieve, and some tasteful playing, such as dark, but classy ballad Silence from Angels Above and a tasteful historical epic Glory of the Empire. Other than that, it features great rocker Sin, 80s metal influenced Alive, and more.

This is the debut album of Circus Maximus, released in 2005. I like the aggressive (in a very good sense) composition and symphonic (or perhaps neo-classical) elements in this album.

There are two long track in this album, with off course a lot of progressive elements such as tempo changes. The title track '1st Chapter' is a 19-minute long composition, loaded with great guitar works both in riffs and solos. 'Glory to the Empire' is another long (10-minute) track. It has a nice intro with melodic theme played by acoustic guitar and keyboards. This track has strong symphonic flavor and great guitar solo.

'Biosfer' is my favorite track, which I think showcases the musicianship of the band. This is around 5 and half minute instrumental track, densely packed with outstanding works of guitar, drums, bass and keyboards. There are mood and tempo changes, even the nature of the song is heavy in the beginning, but a bit symphonic on the ending.

'Imperial Destruction' is a track that present in the US Edition (which I happen to have). It has a softer moment (sort of a nice hook) among the dominant heavy tone. Great guitar solo. Quite different track compared to the rest.

This is a good debut album. I think it is fair for a progressive metal band to have some influence from earlier prominent band of the same genre. In my opinion, the song writing of this band is excellent. Every member of the band has a great musicianship, but Mats Haugen guitar work really stands out. His solo in 'Alive' is very nice and melodic and one of my favorite moment in this album. In 'Biosfer' and 'Sin', the guitar riff and solo are so powerful yet beautiful. Recommended album for progressive metal fans.