Circus Maximus – Isolate

[genocide roach]

Circus Maximus – Isolate
Sensory – SR3038 – September 4, 2007
By Ryan Starr



There is only one word to describe the new Circus Maximus album, rock solid. Well, I guess that’s two words, but you get the idea. Isolate is their second major release, and it’s everything a prog release should be. Michael Eriksen’s vocals are fantastic. He displays great range without any pitch problems. But the highlight of this album is Mats Haugen’s guitar work. The riffs are outstanding, and the solos are even better. The tempo they have set provides an upbeat feel, but is slow enough to hear everything, which gives the listener a great chance to fully enjoy and understand what’s being played. Sure playing fast is great, but sometimes things get lost when your play 100 notes a second. The key is to know how fast is too fast and it’s obvious that Haugen has that talent, and it’s really to his benefit, because it sets the stage for some epic solos.

But while the music is good, it’s nothing groundbreaking. It reminds me a lot of Symphony X, but with a darker edge to it. Even Symphony X’s trademark dueling guitar and keyboard solos make an appearance. What I would like to see from Circus Maximus on the next album is a little more exploration. Just a little bit of real progression would take these guys straight to the forefront of the genre. But even if they don’t, these guys should be ok. They’re doing what every other prog band is doing right now, and they’re doing a good job. But just a little more, and they can go from great to amazing.


Official Circus Maximus Website
Official Sensory Website

[MetalAges]

LOVE this new Circus Maximus, will easily be in my top 5 for the year. These guys have bright futures ahead of them if they keep the lineup solid and keep evolving/maturing like they have.

At times this album gave me the feeling that Dream Theater's "Awake" did.

[BrandonS]

There's only a groundbreaking album every couple of years. It can get a bit odd seeing the phrase "It's not groundbreaking" in every review... That's a bit of a high standard to hold everything to. I really want to hear this... I was just rockin' out to The 1st Chapter the other day. The artwork looks cool on this... I just hope the music is as cool as the artwork.