Circus Maximus Interview!
Friday, 19 December 2008
The so long waited interview from prog metal masters from norway Circus Maximus is here at last! thanks Truls and thanks Circus Maximus!!
1. Hello guys its a pleasure to do this interview with you, please tell us a little about your history, how has been conformed Circus Maximus?
Truls: Well, guess it started in around 1994, when we were doing Metallicacovers and stuff. The other guitarplayer we had in the band at the time introduced me to Dream Theater’s Awake. Man, was I blown away. I’d never heard stuff like that before with the 7string guitars and mad solo sections. And I really loved the dark approach on that album. I’ve been a fan of progressive metal since the and that record still stands as my favorite progressive metal-record. In a band point of view I guess that started us( my brother and me) experimenting with more odd time stuff and making things more interesting and diverse. It was around that time-period that Michael started singing for us. The other guitar-player quit and it was just the three of us for a number of years.
Around 2000 we had a bassplayer called Olav and Espen on keys. We started fooling around with new material and ideas.
Olav left after a short time and we brought in Glen.
We did some demos and a few gigs and got our first record-deal around 2004. The rest is History....hehe
2. Are you working on new material?
Truls: Yes we are...Alot of new and cool ideas.
3. Some side project of any member of CM?
Truls: Yes, I have another band called Insense. More hardcore/Death metal thing. Lasse and Mats play in a Toto tribute band +Lasse has a bunch of other projects.
4. Please talk us about the meaning of the covers of The First Chapter and Isolate, by the way, great artwork.
Truls: We've got to thank Mattias Noren for those. The cover for the 1st chapter was something he made just by knowing our bandname, and we made a kind of a story for the titlesong out of that. The isolate-cover was something we worked on for a long time , so it would match the concept perfectly.
5. Did you imagine sometime that you will be a well-know metal band?
Truls: We always have hoped so, but never imagined it to go so well so fast.
6. How is the tour with Symphony X? How feels open the show for a premium band?
Truls: The tour was amazing and the Syx-guys were realy cool! It was a real honour for us opening up for them. We've all been fans for years.
7. We saw you In the ProgPower USA VII, great show, which experiences left you played in the USA?
Truls: Thanks! Always cool to play at the PP-festival. All the people that attend are really dedicated metal-fans, and the signing-sessions are always crazy.
8. Notorious influence by Dream Theater and Symphony X in your music, what you think about these bands? And which other influences you have?
Truls: Both bands have a big influence on us but I think we sound alot different then them. Off course, we are in the same genre, but does DT and Syx sound similar, not at all. If we need to compare, I guess we are somewhere in between, only with alot more aor influences.
9. Who create the music of Circus Maximus?
Truls: We all collabrate in making music, but it's Mats who is the main engine. He comes up with most of the finished songs, but he uses all of our ideas in the process.
10. Who writes the lyrics and from where come the inspiration?
Truls: On Isolate, most of the lyrics are written by Mike, Mats and myself. It was Mats and Mike that were working with most of the ideas and the melody-lines and they came up with some kind of lyrics to the ideas. I took some them from there and re-wrote them into the storyline. Lyrics like “Wither” and “Arrival of Love” were written like this.
On the 1st chapter it was basically the same.
11. What happen with the past keyboardist?
Truls: He had some personal issues he had to deal with so he couldn't commit enough for the band.
12. Lasse, how you feel in the band? Which is your musical participation in Isolate?
Truls: I can't answer for him, but he's most likely the best thing that could happen to the band in that period, both musically and personally. He has been a big collabarator in the writing the music on Isolate.
13. Michael, you got an incredible and pure voice, How do you do to incorporate your voice with the music?
Truls: He would really appreciate your words. His voice comes with the melodies and we all work together on making them.
14. The First Chapter, top song, what moved you to create it?
Truls: We just started making riffs and ideas, then putting them together. Suddenly we had a 20minute song. Guess we weren't moved in any way.
15. Mouth of Madness, another top song, the history and the music are magnificent; please talk us about this song.
Truls: Another song that wasn't intentionally long, but the end result was very epic so I thought the lyrcis could be kind of epic as well.
16. Glen, which is your musical gear?
Truls: He has a couple of Yamaha 6strings and recently startet using a 4string Music man Stingray. He an ampeg amp and cabinet plus alot effect and stuff.
17. Truls, How is work with your brother?
Truls: It's the best and the worst at the same time. We have an amazing musical chemistry but we fight like kindergardenkids.
18. Mats, Which ones CM songs are your favorites and why?
Truls: I can't answer for him so I have no idea. Maybe the newest stuff he's working that no one has heard yet.
19. Silence from Angels Above, top ballad, normally on the theme of the ballads are experiences, please talk us about it.
Truls: Well, Mats wrote the lyrics to this one so I'm not sure if based on real events or not. Guess it's just a made up story.
20. We got several polls in our page, please tell us which ones are your preferred.
Truls: The best album of the year polls, when we are in them....haha
21. There’s something that you want to say to your fans or share with us?
Truls: We're currently making new music and hopefully we will have a new album out late 2009.
Until then, check out some videos on youtube or something. New ones are popping up all the time.
Stay metal!
Truls Haugen
& Circus Maximus
Thank you so much guys for your words, we appreciate so much, take care, greetings!!!
Buy CM new album Isolate at their site!
Official Myspace site: http://www.myspace.com/officialcm
Official CM site: circusmaximussite.com
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CommentsCM!!
Written by LUGM on 2008-12-26 03:46:38Awesome band!! They're such an enormous influence for me and the band I'm playing with!! I hope someday this guys come to prog Mexico Fuckin' City!!! YEAHHH!!! STAY PROG!! AND REGARDS!! HAppy Holidays!!
Lu - GlassMind.com.mx
