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CIRCUS MAXIMUS :
THE 1ST CHAPTER

You know it's hard to be completely impartial in this business. In fact, the very nature of the job makes it impossible. I mean how can one remain completely unbiased when your main purpose is to tell the world your opinion on something? You can't, it's a total contradiction in objectives! This brings me to the topic of Progressive-Metal, it's not exactly my favourite of the myriad of Heavy-Metal sub genres. Truth be told, it's damn near the bottom of the scale. It wasn't always like that however. For example, there was a time when the release of a new Dream Theater album could have almost been classified as an "event" at my house, and the disc would go on to live in my CD player for months to come. But, as time went on, I grew out of that scene. Now for example, without looking it up, I wouldn't be able to tell you the title of the last Dream Theater album for a million dollars. It's funny really, Prog is viewed by most as a more mature form of Metal, one that most fans would slowly grow into (or progress to) as they age, not grow out of. But for whatever reason, the love I once had for the genre has evolved into utter indifference. So, what do I do when I get a disc like "The 1st Chapter", the debut offering from Finland's Circus Maximus? Well, I try to remember what it was I liked in this scene all those many years ago, and then determine if said disc possess similar qualities. So, let's break it down a bit. Vocalist Michael Eriksen is excellent. He can easily hit the high notes, and also has a powerful mid-range voice as well. The playing is unquestionably top-notch, and although in my opinion there is a bit too much keyboard work going on, it's still not over the top. Best of all, like that early Dream Theater stuff I liked so much, Circus Maximus can be pretty heavy when they want to be. Finally, and most importantly, they have the songs. Memorable melodies abound, but some over-indulgent instrumental wankery does sometimes derail them. So, even though I personally wouldn't have bought this with my paycheque, I had to conclude that this is a damn good Progressive-Metal album, and most of you Prog fans will probably be creamin' your jeans over it. However, sometimes things are put back into perspective rather abruptly. As I went to play this disc for the second time through, it happened to catch my wife's ear. "What's this?" she asked. "It sounds like some gay 80s crap." ...hmmmm, I think I'd replace "80s" with "early 90s", but she does make a good point. So, there you have it... a good Prog disc, yet it sounds like "gay 80s crap". You will need to decide which opinion suits your personal musical taste. For more info on these dudes, check out circusmaximussite.com.
RATING = 7.5 Progressive-Metal (Released 2005)

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