Rating: 8/10
Label: Frontiers 2012
Review by Kimmo Toivonen
Norwegian prog metal group Circus Maximus have managed to pass me by, even though this is their third album. That's a pity, as their music seems to be just the kind of prog metal that I like. In other words, they are not constantly trying to impress with their skills and complex songwriting, instead they have some very accessible, melodic tracks.
Vocalist Michael Eriksen left his mark in the melodic rock scene with last year's The Magnificent album, which proved that he's a world class AOR singer. He shines here too, as does the rest of the band, but then again, have you heard of an established prog metal band with sloppy players?
The reason why I'm not rating this album higher is the fact that some of the songs do contain the "original sins" of the genre - there's just too much of everything yet not enough hooks, so they become a little self-indulgent. Die-hard prog fans would disagree though. However, when the ingredients are measured correctly, as in "Game Of Life" or "I Am", the band offer you something that's irrestibly good, even if you're more into AOR or melodic hard rock.
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