After a 5 year wait, the melodic prog metal masters from Norway, Circus Maximus are back with their third, and arguably, best album yet, the curiously titled “Nine”. For fans of CM’s previous efforts “The Second Chapter” and “Isolate”, all of the elements that you love about Circus Maximus are back, the amazing guitar tones of Mats Haugen, the amazing melodic voice of Michael Eriksen, and the technical yet catchy songwriting. But what is new about “Nine” you ask? Well the songwriting is more in depth and has maturity about it with ambient new sounds from keyboardist Lasse Finbråten (who, as a keyboard player, should be ranked up there with Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess) and a focus on melody as opposed to prog metal wankery. The best way to describe it would be comparable to Pagan’s Mind’s musical shift from “God’s Equation” to “Heavenly Ecstasy” or perhaps Dream Theater’s “Awake”. Eriksen’s vocal melodies, while still compelling and cool, rely more on his mid range than on his considerable upper register. Perhaps the biggest change is the increased presence of bassist Glen Møllen and drummer Truls Haugen. The re-invigorated rhythm section add a thunderous punch to the songs on “Nine” that was previously lacking on the previous two albums. After a short ominous keyboard intro titled “Forging”, the band kicks into high gear with the 10 minute opus “Architect of Fortune”, which is a roller coaster ride of musical styles with plenty of crunchy guitar riffs and melodic soloing from Haugen, keyboard wizardry courtesy of Finbråten, and Eriksen’s smooth as silk vocals. When listening to the music I was reminded of bands like Coldplay and Radiohead. The second song “Namaste” is a mid-tempo rocker with Eriksen using a distortion effect during the verses, and then switching to a catchy chorus. The main riff will have you bobbing your head in time to the music. “Game of Life” features Eriksen’s vocals at their best with an AOR sensibility that he hinted at previously on The Magnificent side project that he provided vocals for last year. The first “single’ off the album is the ultra melodic and radio friendly “Reach Within” which kicks off with a pulsing bass line from Møllen. The song itself is the least “prog” sounding on “Nine” but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The guitar work and soloing on the song are amazing and Eriksen’s emotional singing once again takes center stage. Listening to the keyboard melody line on “I Am” I am reminded of Coldplay, which is not a bad thing, just an observation. Vocally, Eriksen seems to channel the “ghost’ of Roy Khan (ex-Kamelot) with his use of his mid-range. The heavy guitar rhythms return on “Used”” which is probably the heaviest offering on the album, and finds Eriksen using his upper range, albeit sparingly. “The One” is the shortest song on the album with a great hook and a mid-tempo swagger. The prog returns on “Burn After Reading” which starts off with an acoustic guitar and Eriksen’s somber vocals until the main riff kicks in with a vengeance and just when you get comfortable, the tempo changes again until the chorus takes over with some impressive soaring harmonies. Midway through the song, Haugen unleashes an impressive guitar solo that would impress John Petrucci himself and then the song returns to end with the softer piano driven melody. The last song on the album is appropriately titled ‘The Last Goodbye”. The sweet as honey guitar line in the beginning had me smiling from ear to ear, despite the fact that the subject matter of the lyrics deals with the pain of losing a loved one. This is easily the most emotionally powerful song on the album without going into sappy power ballad territory. Instead of treating loss with sorrow and pain, the chorus is uplifting and full of hope. After the instrumental section, the breakdown switches gears and I am reminded of the Dream Theater classic “The Spirit Carries On”, if only in the way the song soars to new heights of intensity and spirituality with the fadeout vocal harmonies during the last 30 seconds sounding unintentionally like prog rockers Yes. With “Nine”, Circus Maximus have created their finest moment, an opinion that I’m sure will be debated amongst the band’s loyal following, nonetheless, a surefire contender for my album of the year.

Rating; 10