''The 1st Chapter'' is the debut album by the Norwegian progressive metal band, Circus Maximus. ''The 1st Chapter'' was released on May 14, 2005 in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

and on June 7, 2005 in the United States. The ongoing theme of ''The 1st Chapter'' is about "the journey" to

salvation Salvation (from Latin: ''salvatio'', from ''salva'', 'safe, saved') is the state of being saved or protected from harm or a dire situation. In religion and theology, ''salvation'' generally refers to the deliverance of the soul from sin and its c ...

expressed through the lyrics. Musically, it sports a circus-like theme (that actually can be heard) playing throughout the album. The lyrics to the song "Glory of the Empire" refer heavily to the 2000 film, ''

Gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...

''. ''The 1st Chapter'' contains the longest running Circus Maximus song with "The 1st Chapter" running for 19 minutes and 7 seconds.

Track listing

Bonus Tracks

Personnel

* Michael Eriksen –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

* Mats Haugen –

guitars The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

* Truls Haugen –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

* Glen Cato Møllen –

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

* Espen Storø –

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

Production

* Produced by Circus Maximus * Mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen (Jailhouse Studios) * Artwork by Mattias Norèn (Progart Media) * Layout and logo by Claus Jensen (Intromental Design)

References

External links

Official Circus Maximus website
{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Chapter, The Circus Maximus (Norwegian band) albums 2005 debut albums Frontiers Records albums