The 1st Chapter (The 1st Chapter - Circus Maximus)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	The 1st Chapter - Circus Maximus
Date:	10/06/08 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Talented progressive metal by-the-numbers.

Disadvantages: Heard it all before.

Norway's Circus Maximus belongs to the breed of openly 'progressive' bands that don't actually progress the genre at all, but rather steal all of their ideas from their influences and mix them together in a slightly different way, disguised as something new. While this inherently lessens my appreciation for these copy-cat bands, Circus Maximus at least seem honest about their plagiarism, having begun as a tribute act to the likes of Dream Theater and Symphony X whose material they seamlessly incorporate into their own, and do a damn fine, if unoriginal job.

Anyone who enjoys the more classically metal-oriented progressive metal bands such as Angra, early Fates Warning or the aforementioned Symphony X should appreciate this album, and the instrumental display is often directly comparable to the personnel of Dream Theater and its various side projects, particularly in the instrumental 'Biosfear' that sounds more like Dream Theater than Dream Theater does. The musicians are all talented, including singer Michael Eriksen who has the perfect voice to suit this style, and solo sections always sound enjoyable rather than poncy.

As bizarrely tends to be the case with prog metal bands, there are roots in the more commercial side of eighties rock with frequent power ballads, and although these are handled considerately, they occasionally cross over into hurl territory, most fully realised in 'The Prophecy.' The shorter, more metal-based songs are all highly enjoyable even if more experienced listeners won't be able to stop themselves listening out for the plagiarism, and the long songs are put together well, even if they're perhaps the greatest rip-offs of them all. The closing title track in particular is embarrassingly similar to Symphony X's 'The Odyssey' with its trumpet overture and sense of being eight songs stuck together rather than a coherent twenty-minute epic.

1. Sin
2. Alive
3. Glory of the Empire
4. Biosfear
5. Silence from Angels Above
6. Why Am I Here
7. The Prophecy
8. The 1st Chapter

Summary: Circus Maximus' first album (2005).