The 1st Chapter is the debut album by the Norwegianprogressive metal band, Circus Maximus. The 1st Chapter was released on May 14, 2005 in Norway and on June 7, 2005 in the United States.[6] The ongoing theme of The 1st Chapter is about "the journey" to salvation expressed through the lyrics. Musically, it sports a circus-like theme (that actually can be heard) playing throughout the album.