new Circus Maximus

Frontiers Records has set a June 5 North American release date four days earlier in Europe) for "Nine", the third album from Norwegian progressive metallers CIRCUS MAXIMUS.

Five years after the release of the concept album "Isolate", CIRCUS MAXIMUS is back with what is described in a press release as "a strong and mature CD."

"A lot happened in our personal lives during the past few years," explains drummer Truls Haugen. "Three of us had kids, plus we also had a several bumps in the road with the production. So it has not exactly been a joyride, but it feels great to finally be done, and after all this time we are ready to unleash our new monster!"

CIRCUS MAXIMUS worked hard to further refine its sound. The band's musical formula is not easy to accomplish — take jaw-dropping musicianship, add a singer like Michael Eriksen with a voice from heaven and toss it together with hooks, anthemic melodies and enough groove and heavy riffing that really gets into your head.

For this new record, CIRCUS MAXIMUS presents the best of both worlds — offering their most melodic and at the same time heaviest moments of their repertoire, with class and maturity which is really from another world.

"The majority of the material on the new record was written by Mats Haugen and he has taken the music to a kind of simpler and more accessible approach, yet kept the progressive elements and the 'nerve' that is CIRCUS MAXIMUS," says Truls. "We're actually more melodic and heavier on this new record than we've ever been."

"Nine" track listing:

01. Forging
02. Architect Of Fortune
03. Namaste
04. Game Of Life
05. Reach Within
06. I Am
07. Used
09. The One
10. Burn After Reading
11. Last Goodbye

"Reach Within" will be released as a digital single on April 27. A video for the song is also in the works.

CIRCUS MAXIMUS will play select shows in the summer before launching a full-scale tour in support of the new album.

"We will definitely represent this album live to the whole world," says truls. "We will do more live shows and more touring than ever and we really can't wait to get back on the road!"

CIRCUS MAXIMUS is:

Michael Eriksen - Vocals
Lasse Finbråten - Keyboards
Mats Haugen - Guitars
Truls Haugen - Drums
Glen Cato Møllen - Bass











from Blabbermouth

The band's description of the album and that sample does not excite me at all. Sounds like they're going for more of that modern alt-rock/quasi-prog sound. =(

Actually, here's a supposed radio edit of the new song:



I don't know...not very impressed. It's okay, I guess, but I'd rather the older, heavier Circus Maximus.

Eyesore wrote:

Actually, here's a supposed radio edit of the new song:



I don't know...not very impressed. It's okay, I guess, but I'd rather the older, heavier Circus Maximus.

ill wait til i hear the whole thing but i agree - I wish something in the style of Isolate. That album is amazing!

I understand the need to progress but I hope it's not a total change in style.

Love the debut and the follow up was decent but IMO a step down but I'll give the new one a shot.

DallasBlack wrote:

Love the debut and the follow up was decent but IMO a step down but I'll give the new one a shot.

I'd agree that it was a slight step down, but still a great album.

DallasBlack wrote:

Love the debut and the follow up was decent but IMO a step down but I'll give the new one a shot.

Agreed. The change in keyboard players is what drug it down. The keys are overblown on Isolate. But I'll get the new one for sure, I love the singer's voice.

Rex wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Love the debut and the follow up was decent but IMO a step down but I'll give the new one a shot.

Agreed. The change in keyboard players is what drug it down. The keys are overblown on Isolate. But I'll get the new one for sure, I love the singer's voice.

Have you picked up The Magnificent? They're a very humble band.



Great album!

I breathe a sigh of relief.



Sounds great!

Cool, the sonics sound great.

Sounds like it's gonna be great!

Eyesore wrote:

Rex wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Love the debut and the follow up was decent but IMO a step down but I'll give the new one a shot.

Agreed. The change in keyboard players is what drug it down. The keys are overblown on Isolate. But I'll get the new one for sure, I love the singer's voice.

Have you picked up The Magnificent? They're a very humble band.



Great album!

The Magnificent really lives up to the name. I enjoy it a lot.

They have short hair... I doubt it will be good......

[quote="kmorg"]They have short hair... I doubt it will be good......




[/quote

dont discriminate against the follicly challenged!!!

So that EPK was a bit misleading, I think. Not intentionally, of course, it just made me think the album was going to be more like the first two. But yeah, this one is different. I didn't dislike it, liked it quite a bit, but I need to spin it more times to get a good grasp on it.

Anyone else buy it yet?

One of many I will order after my self-imposed spending hold expires.

Just got it, it'll be tomorrow before I get a chance to listen to much of it though. But I'm liking what I've heard so far a lot.

I heard most of the songs and it is quite different. I am not sure of how i feel about it yet...

I'm with exact, it seems to be pretty far away from the debut which was exellent.

I'm jamming it on Spotify now, I'm not quite sure I understand what y'all are talking about. Just off of first impression, it seems to be pretty solid.

Wurthless wrote:

I'm jamming it on Spotify now, I'm not quite sure I understand what y'all are talking about. Just off of first impression, it seems to be pretty solid.

It is solid, just different.

I guess I should've been clearer in my statement. To my ears, at least, it doesn't sound too far removed from Isolate (I haven't heard the debut). Prog with a touch of power metal in the mix.

I've listened to the first half of the album and I'm with Wurthless, I don't see that much difference in it than the debut even. Its obviously not the same album, but all their trademark stuff is there (and thankfully the keys have so far been used for accents and atmosphere instead the normal proggy annoying wankery that this genre is known for).