There are quite a few "love it or hate it" genres within the realm of hard rock and heavy metal, but undoubtedly toward the top on the list is prog metal. Depending on your musical preference, the style is either a pretentious bloated dinosaur or a platform to showcase exceptional instrumental chops and difficult song structures. Norway's
Circus Maximus certainly believe in the latter description, as evidenced by their 2007 sophomore full-length,
Isolate. Sounding very much like
Dream Theater -- especially singer
Michael Eriksen, whose vocals contain more than a passing resemblance to
James LaBrie --
Circus Maximus are a group of gentlemen who can undoubtedly play
Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1 backward and forward (heck, one-time
Helloween producer Tommy Hansen even produced
Isolate). Songs such as the album-opening "A Darkened Mind," "Wither," and "From Childhood's Hour..." show that
Circus Maximus fit comfortably between the likes of
Iced Earth and
Symphony X. ~ Greg Prato