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Metalium - As One: Chapter Four


*
=Staff's pick

Astral Avatar
Warrior*
Pain Crawls In The Night*
Find Out
No One Will Save You*
Meaning Of Light
Illuminated
Meaning Of Light (reprise)
Athena*
Power Strikes The Earth*
Goddess Of Love And Pain
As One*


Genre Power Metal
Henning Basse
Vocals
Tracks 12
Mathias Lange
Guitar
Runningtime 58 Min.
-
Guitar
Label Massacre Records
Lars Ratz
Bass
Release 10 May 2004
Michael Ehre
Drums
Country Germany
-
Keyboards
Similar artists Helloween, Gamma Ray

German four-headed power metal piece Metalium once again delivers another studio album and exactly as was expected the concept-story continues here in their fourth instalment As One, also appropriately sub-titled Chapter Four. This release however introduces another character besides their metal hero, The Metalian, namely his female counterpart, Metaliana. The two characters are aware of each other existence and connected telepathically but separated in parallel universes until fate at the end decides to unite them in the ultimately perfect entity. United As One. The Metalian, the embodiment of pure metal, has before been conquering the elements, fought and destroyed heathen non-metal adherents, achieved immortality and travelled through time and the journey of Metaliana is not that different. Throughout the whole chapter she encounters several female mythological characters like Medusa, Athena, Pandora and Aphrodite, and in the traditional Metalium order, defeats them all.

And not only have Metalium decided to introduce a new female character lyrically, but she's also been given her very own voice delivered by Japanese guest vocalist Saeko Kitame who's fulfilling her task without complaints on many of the album numbers. And once again the band's also managed to get legendary keyboarder Don Airey (Phenomena, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne) on board this concept cruise and his efforts are as usual absolute world class.

The sound of Metalium for uninitiated readers can be described as bridging somewhat between American and European classic power metal and instantly suggests that Helloween's Keeper/Walls of Jericho era, Gamma Ray, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest have been strong influences. Metalium however have managed to create a sound that still lies outside of those band's standard templates and that's where the American references occur. And although the band's matured further since their previous Hero Nation the kind of rattly sound, the razor sharp technical and overall speedy riffage, the pounding double bass drums, the intense bass lines, the blazing solos and of course the high pitched soaring vocals of Henning Basse right along the Kiske/Hansen guide-lines are still there and withhold the band aura.

Regarding the individual numbers as usual when up against Metalium the pace is exactly as on all the previous chapters- a very fast driven one with exception for only a few cuts and the intensity and energetic approach is still the backbone in the sound. The only real slow down in pace is the more mid-tempo Find Out and the most ambitious track they've composed so far, the twelve minute metal opus, Illuminated. Otherwise this album is a very fast fuelled one and As One also feels more direct and to the point than other representatives in the CD-catalogue. Some choruses reach very infectious levels and that's particularly true regarding Pain Crawls in the Night, No One Will Save You, Power Strikes the Earth and the title metal hymnic As One. The entire album is also very technical delivery but still kept on a listener friendly basis where the progressive elements never get too much out of concept. Some semi-operatic features can also be found and is a notion that fits very well with the music provided.

Two major complaints take down the grade a notch have to be issued on the negative side of the scale though. First the band continue to use a narrative streak but together with so many other bands that use this trick, Metalium also quite ungraciously fall through the emergency trap doors. I'm not complaining about the idea itself but if this is to be a part of the sound frame a more decent pronunciation and less accent-vibrant voice is strongly preferred. This particular dip in performance comes true for real in the Illuminated opus and however immensely technical and musically excellently performed the narrative instalments kind of ruins a song that in the end not even Don Airey's keyboard wizardry can save. Secondly the entire mixing of the album is a bit too low in the bass and the sound this time is not the abyss deep fatness German power metal bands usually provide. This is really a bit disappointing since an improvement there really would have produced at least one chalice more.

But regardless of that As One has been of the most frequently played albums back home lately and the raw intensity of it all really works. The riffage nails you down, the solos swirl, the high pitched vocals take you right back to Hellween's glorious days and the up-tempo pace and still variety of the song material leaves a very satisfied listener when the 58 minutes come to an end. And instead of just copying the glory of the past the band has moved forward and this new task of theirs is according to this reviewer even more enjoyable than any of their earlier discography representatives with its more direct and more mature approach. Metalium have always been and continue to be a well forged and powerful metallic alloy that at the end of the day must be regarded as a very memorable constellation that really deserves to be put in to focus if you haven't so far. As One with pride continues the Metalium saga and will absolutely satisfy every fan who has enjoyed their three former chapters and possesses enough magnetism to also attract new loyal adherents. Miss it at your own peril!

See also review of: Incubus , Hero Nation , Demons Of Insanity

Production
Vocals
Compositions

7,5

8,5

8,5

 
Summary



8,5 chalices of 10 - Mat

Related links:

www.metalium.de
www.myspace.com/metalium