German epic/melodic power metal band. Metalium constantly keeps changing members, some have been in bands like Savatage, Doctor Butcher, Yngwie Malmsteen, Seven Witches, Rage, Murder One and Brainstorm. You take one dose of German melodic speed metal, ala Gamma Ray and Helloween. You ad one dose of American power metal, ala Steel Prophet and Symphorce. Then mix in epic metal lyrics, ala Manowar and Hammerfall. Then you got Metalium!
MILLENNIUM
METAL -CHAPTER ONE- (1999) MASSACRE
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Line-up: Henning Basse: Lead Vocals Lars Ratz: Bass Matthias Lange: Guitars Chris Caffery: Guitars Mike Terrana: Drums |
I bought this record simply because Chris Caffery plays on it. I'm a huge Savatage fan, and thought this was just a side-project. And what a surprise I got! This is a band, not a project, and it's headed by Lars Ratz. Their album is a concept album, but I'm not going to go deep into what it's about. In one sentence, it's about a quest for heavy metal music. And the music is awesome. I would describe it as a mix between American and German power metal. The mentioned Chris Caffery, together with drummer Mike Terrana, play a form of metal you don't usually hear from these guys. Henning Basse does a great vocal-job, and lifts this band into the major-league. True melodic epic power/speed metal!!!! "Smoke On The Water" is a Deep Purple cover, and "Burning" is a cover of Accept. The last track is a bonus on this digi-pack version of mine.
24.05.2002: Got the booklet signed by Henning Basse, Matthias Lange and Lars Ratz, after a concert in Oslo, Norway.
Killer tracks: Fight, Revelation, Free Forever, Metalians
STATE
OF TRIUMPH -CHAPTER TWO- (2000) MASSACRE
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Line-up: Henning Basse: Lead Vocals Lars Ratz: Bass Matthias Lange: Guitars Jack Frost: Guitars Mark Cross: Drums |
The return of the Metalians!! More metal in the same vain as their previous album. And that is a welcome sort in my collection. I actually liked this better than their first one. A slight member-change (Chris was never meant to be a constant member), but the same great music. Waving the true metal banner, these guys even climbed the German metal charts! "Music" is an excellent cover of a John Miles classic.
24.05.2002: Got the booklet signed by Henning Basse, Matthias Lange and Lars Ratz, after a concert in Oslo, Norway.
Killer tracks: Steel Avenger, Years Of Darion, Erania, Stygian Flames, Music
METALIAN
ATTACK -LIVE- (2001) LOCOMOTIVE/ARMAGEDDON
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Recorded in Strassbourg, France at 26th November 2000 |
This live CD was actually only released as a bonus together with a DVD. But for some reason, someone traded me this as it was just another Metalium CD. And I must say I got really ripped off, as this CD comes in a cardboard sleeve, and resembles a promo more then a regular CD. So I haven't even got the line-up info for it. Guess I'll have to hunt down the entire DVD some day. As for the music on the disc, well that is another story. Metalium are a great live band, as I've been so fortunate to see for myself at one time. And this CD proves it. It's not going to become a live classic or anything, but the Germans deliver an honest live-recording. The track list is way to short. And amongst the 7 tracks, we get one instrumental intro, and a cover of the Kansas song "Dust In The Wind" (this song also appear as a studio track as a bonus for the Japanese edition for 'State Of Triumph -Chapter Two-").
HERO-NATION -CHAPTER THREE- (2002)
ARMAGEDDON/NEMS (2CD)
CD1:
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Line-up: Henning Basse: Lead Vocals Lars Ratz: Bass Matthias Lange: Guitars Michael Ehre: Drums Guest musicians: Don Airey: Keyboards on 1, 3, 5, 6 Ken Hensley: Hammond on 9 Tom Naumann: Guest Soli on 9 Stefan Schlabritz: Metal God on 1, 3, 4 Carolin Fortenbacher: Metal Goddess on 1, 3, 10 |
CD2:
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Some faces gone, a new face in, and Metalium are once again ready to spread the heavy metal gospel. And this time, they brought help. Don Airey (Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Black Sabbath), Ken Hensley (Uriah Heep) and Tom Naumann from Primal Fear/Sinner. But I'm a bit sad to say, this doesn't help. The metalians 3rd album turns out to be their weakest. What the problem with it is, are harder to explain, because most of the songs are actually fine metal-hymns. But after having listened through the record quite a few times, none of the tracks stick in my mind. I also saw Metalium live on the 'Hero-Nation' tour, but none of the tracks made much impression on me here either. I don't know if it is the lack of a second guitarist, or if the songwriting just isn't good enough, but something is missing. 'Hero-Nation' is still a good record though, and fans should definitely get it. Just don't have very high hopes. My version is a double-disc I bought at the concert. I don't know if it is a special edition, or just a regular first edition.
Killer tracks: Revenge Of Tizona, In The Name Of Blood
Metalium also appear on:
V/A - 'A Tribute To ABBA'
Henning Basse guest appearances:
Gamma Ray - 'Land Of The Free II'
Matthias Lange guest appearances:
Seven Witches - 'City Of Lost Souls'
Chris Caffery guest appearances:
Doro - 'Fight'
Circle II Circle - 'Watching In Silence' (as writer)
Eidolon - 'The Parallel Otherworld'
Mark Cross guest appearances:
Helloween - 'Rabbit Don't Come Easy'
Jack Frost guest appearances:
Rob Rock - 'Eyes Of Eternity'
Distant Thunder - 'Welcome The End' (also as producer)
Liberty N' Justice - 'Independence Day'
Related artists:
Savatage, Axel Rudi Pell, Doctor Butcher, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Kingdom Come, Roland Grapow, Seven Witches, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rage, Brainstorm, Winters Bane, Masterplan, Zillion, Firewind, Helloween, At Vance, Frost
