Millennium Metal - Chapter One

Metalium's debut record was a commercial success and stood for the comeback of an entire genre towards the end of the nineties and first years of the new millennium. The group went on to offer eight chapters of its epic saga before calling it quits after thirteen years of existence. Millennium Metal: Chapter One is one of the band's best entries and the only one involving Savatage's guitarist Chris Caffery and drummer Mike Terrana who has played in so many bands that it's impossible to keep track of them.

Musically, the band offers an energetic mixture between traditional heavy metal, European power metal and occasionalsSpeed metal influences. The record's first half is quite entertaining. "Fight" is an energetic power metal song with a thunderous rhythm section, fast guitar riffs and powerful high-pitched vocals. "Dream of Doom" is much slower, more melodic and oozes with an ominous atmosphere somewhere between mid-paced heavy metal and minimal gothic and doom metal influences. "Break the Spell" on the other side is classic heavy metal in the key of Judas Priest which is probably the band that sounds closest to them. If you like the material Judas Priest recorded with Tim Owens, you are certainly going to appreciate this album.

One element that has always annoyed me about this record are the cringeworthy radio play elements, consisting of vapid monologues and boring one-liners offered by the story's hero whose voice sounds so low that one could imagine his testicles weighing a ton each. The overall solid album also loses some steam after a strong beginning and especially the second half is lacking punch despite solid musicianship and a few solid tunes like the elaborate "Metamorphosis" that connects the first and the second part and the epic closer and band hymn "Metalians".

In the end, I would recommend this album to those who are looking for a record situated between traditional heavy metal and epic power metal. The release is diverse and entertaining but not every song is convincing and the radio play elements sound idiotic. Metalium's release was on the pulse of its time twenty years ago but is slightly overrated in hindsight. Still, fans of the aforementioned genres should give this record a try.

Why this band came up under the banner of 90’s euro power metal was already appointed. The solid guitar work and vocals have been appointed as well. The ‘boxed’ music style has been categorized as well. Thus, I am going to focus on some other aspects not yet appointed.

First of all, this is to me a clear demonstration of true metal. Certainly there are no dragons around but the basic concept (the entities known as Metalians and the pilgrimage through their quest) is proper from true metal. The actual metallic raw-yet polished production (as beautifully stated by the other guy) helps a lot give this true metal feeling. Since there are very few fast songs and they fall more on the mid tempo songs this is clearly not power metal. Power metal as it originally began it was meant to be quite fast (Walls of Jericho anyone?). The current problem is that since there are a big plethora of fast bands and some really mediocre Metallium focuses on more melody yet metallic aggression but with this mystic atmosphere, transcendent if you want, which belongs to true metal. I am not saying by any means this is not power metal. It is just that its main focus is not power metal or heavy metal for that matter, but more true metal than anything else.
Another aspect to mention is the amazing drum work by Mike Terrana. Wherever he is behind the kit he provides a crunching heaviness without being a demolisher blast beat death metal alike. His performance and precise execution is exactly what many bands need and he is the perfect choice for an album like this. He doesn’t just follow the bass lines. He actually adds and innovates on each single song. I haven’t been able to yet predict what he is going to do on every single break. His tempo changes and rhythm patterns are superb in every single way (take for example just as a taste the intro for ‘Revelation’ and the outstanding and intro sections on ‘Metalians’ so you can hear what I mean).The bass lines are quite powerful as well since Lars Ratz is the producer so he knows that in order to give extra pound and weight the bass needs to be prominent.

The background vocals are very true metal as well, not high pitched power metal back ground vocals at any means. If you can recall in some ways Sabbaton’s well, these sound very similar although these are not that yet thick and low.

‘Strike down the heathen’ has a very Accept riffing style (maybe that is why the covered ‘Burning’ which is very similar in style) and pace influenced but the double bass drumming added this power and aggressive vibe. So in other words, think of Accept or Sinner true-metalized. Certainly, as far as my taste (and many more fans out there) this song, along ‘Free forever’ with the absolute Michael Kiske vocal tribute, plus ‘Void of Fire’ because of the smashing speed and yet heavy crunch are the best tracks here. ‘Void of Fire’ has slight distorted vocals which sound too industrial for my taste but even so it is an awesome track. ‘Pilgrimage’ sounds very classic 80’s heavy metal as well but with a modern sound. ‘Metalians’ is another great song to finish the original songs since there are two covers at the very end: ‘Smoke on the water’ which I totally hate because I never liked Deep Purple. ‘Burning’ on the other hand is for me an excellent choice since it fast pace has a very nice flow than the boring ‘Balls to the wall’ but that is just me. Both covers in the end are magnificently executed.


This was a very solid effort and although some of the songs could be boring (Dream of Doom, Metalium, Pilgrimage) there are only around 3. The rest are killer in any way or another. There might be the outstanding vocal delivery, the melodic sense, the aggressive speed and heavy crunch that might appeal to a wide range of fans. I bought it years ago and still get a lot of airplay because there are many good elements (the drumming for me especially) so it is a really good album but only for fans or euro power metal fans who might find it enjoyable and true metal fans the most.

Metalium’s debut Millenium Metal – Chapter One is a mix between power, speed, and a heavy groove metal influence in the likes of later period Pantera. Most songs are mid-tempo power metal riffs though some songs like Fight fall much more into the category of Speed metal with fast riffs and solos. Millenium Metal is the first in Metalium’s long conceptual storyline that is on every album they have released so far.

The songs are either good or bad fortunately many are solid songs. The vocals are just the typical power metal high pitch falsettos for the choruses and mid-range for everything else. The guitar work is solid focusing more on the riffs then the leads which is definitely not unusual for power metal. The drumming is solid though I didn’t pay much attention so that’s all I’ve got to say about the drumming. The bass is audible for the most part which is quite unusual for this sub-genre. The cover of Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water is even better than the original it is speeded up and has a heavy double kick bass effect that the original didn’t have.

Unfortunately the album as a whole is way too long and has too many songs, almost half the album is filler. Too many influences and ideas are presented on Millenium Metal that I would have to say this album is a victim of Metalium’s influences. Millenium Metal would have been better if Metalium would have stuck with the speed and power metal.

Overall Millenium Metal is mainly a solid affair with some problems though they don’t ruin the album as a whole. Best songs are Fight, Break the Spell, Revelation, and Smoke on the Water. I recommend this to fans of Metalium and speed/power metal only.

-8 points too long with too many songs
-8 points the range of ideas makes this album as a whole suffer
-8 filler songs also bring down the overall effect of this album

When one recalls the 1990s, in conjunction with the genre of heavy metal, one sees a dark and desolate place with no hope for a rebirth. In essence, the spirit of metal had not really died; it had only been blighted by the passage of time and the lack of credible proponents. Somewhere in the mid-90s, at the trough of metal’s decline, a flame was rekindled due to the constant efforts of older acts that refused to bow to the whims of mainstream taste and newer acts hungry for an audience. Although Metalium was made up of a group of seasoned veterans of the metal scene, the music that they put forth on “Millennium Metal” is quite youthful and vital.

Much like other German acts who either came out at the same time or a few years before (Iron Savior, Freedom Call, Mob Rules, Gamma Ray) they format their albums into conceptual works, although the subject matter of the narrations and lyrics found within are more in line with the storytelling of Manowar and perhaps Rhapsody if one takes the narrations in themselves. Themes of struggle and triumph with perhaps a tinge of cheese run rampant in every song, combined with a sort of Jekyll and Hyde concept of morphing from a blind conformist to a stalwart champion of true heavy metal. If nothing else, this album and those that follow have a very uplifting spirit to them.

Most of the music on here is power/speed metal of the Judas Priest persuasion, although unlike Hammerfall and Gamma Ray they shine equally as well on their ballads, which usually end faster than they begin. The riffs also carry some traditional influences such as Deep Purple, Accept, and even early thrash. “Revelation” has a hypnotic jazz shuffle beat and a very memorable chorus, while “Fight” and “Strike down the Heathen” are straight forward fast rockers that put more emphasis on the guitars rather than on vocal hooks. You’ve also got a sizable collection of slower and catchy metal anthems in “Metalium”, “Dream of Doom” and “Pilgrimage” that showcase non-Judas Priest influences and plenty of classic heavy riffs.

Other songs on here have a stronger emphasis on melody and vocal work rather than crushing riffs and pummeling beats. “Metamorphosis” is a rather nostalgic ballad with a simple piano line that develops into a quasi-speed oriented metal anthem towards the end. “Break the Spell” features some interesting interchanges between the voice and guitars during the verses, as well as some off-the-cuff vocal effects. “Free Forever” starts off with a solid guitar theme and some military drumming, pretty similar to some of the tracks heard on Freedom Call’s and Iron Fire’s debuts actually. The 2 cover songs are quite well done, the Accept one being very faithful to the original, while the Deep Purple cover has a lot of added guitar parts and a faster beat to mold it into something closer to the rest of the works on here.

Two songs, however, really stand out despite the large amount of quality work on here. “Metalians” is easily remembers for it’s stop and go riffing over top a constant drum beat, as well as the active lead guitar presence, but Henning Basse’s vocals are what really make this one work, as he rivals Dan Heiman in the range department and Nils Rue’s in the quality department. “Void of Fire” is one of my favorite speed metal tracks of all time, between Chris Caffery’s guitars and Mike Terrana’s thundering tidal wave of speed beats, what results is something that even Gamma Ray would have a hard time topping. This song will literally kick your ass so hard that it’ll knock your teeth out and then proceed to jam your teeth back into your gums, pick you back up, and force you to hit the replay button to repeat the process again.

To prospective buyers, this is the greatest album ever put out by this band, as they haven’t yet been able to recapture the same magic they had with Chris Caffery and Mike Terrana. If you like the German power metal scene of the late 90s with a slight case of Manowar worship, this will definitely make for a great listening experience. If you buy one album by this band, get this one, and if you wish to get a second I highly recommend picking up the 2nd as this band did its best work with two guitar players.

To many, Metalium might seem like just another side-project, however, this is a full-time band despite most prominent members playing in other bands. On the first release, both Jack Frost and Chris Caffery have/had spent time in Savatage, and drummer Mike Terrana was a member of Malmsteen’s band. So what can one expect from Metalium on their debut? Well, it is obvious Metalium is heavily entrenched in Euro Power Metal, but there is a heavy German Speed Metal influence as well. The music itself isn’t the most original but the production and vocals really give Metalium their own feel.

Given the title, Chapter 1: Millenium Metal, you would be right in assuming this a concept CD. The story tells about the journey and tribulations of the Metalians who are involved in a quest for triumph. So of course, the CD opens up with the obligatory intro and goes into the super speedy, neck breaking, “Fight”. Roaring guitars, soaring vocals, and pounding double bass populate this track, what a great way to open the disc! “Dream Of Doom” and “Break The Spell” are up next, and these tracks slow things down. While they do contain faster sections, overall they are more mid-paced with emphasis on vocal melodies, and hard rocking guitars. Yes, a lot of the mid-paced stuff has a Hard Rock/Heavy Metal feel to it, and the guitars have a nice crunch. Meanwhile, the guitars are more Speed/Thrash Metal like on the faster sections, which of course contain melodic leads and breaks woven into the riffs. I won’t go into a track-by-track listing, but Millennium Metal, after “Break The Spell”, continues the trend of mid-paced songs with 1 or 2 fast parts, which are built up nicely, as well as some well-done galloping double bass as seen as “Metalium”. While I really like it when Metalium play fast, the vocals and arrangements are very pleasing on the slower (but not slow per-se) tracks; many memorable vocal lines are present, with quality drumming, guitar work, and bass work. After the Power Ballad like “Metamorphosis”, Metalium give us three fast tracks that are sure to please, “Void Of Fire”, Strike Down The Heathen”, and “Free Forever”. The first two are double bass monsters with aggressive guitars and killer choruses, while the latter is heavily melodic, with the best vocals on the CD. As is demonstrated on a couple of songs, there are some back-up vocals used, but not that heavily, most songs opt for doubling of the vocals which also works very well instead. The concept portion of the CD eventually ends with “Metalians”, which is another classic track. After the story is complete, two covers are present. One of Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” which is one of the better covers I’ve heard, and the second is Accept’s “Burning”, which is another excellent cover.

As mentioned, the production is rather unique. I can’t quite explain it, but the feeling created seems very metallic in nature and somewhat raw, yet still clear. The bass sound is really cool, and the drums sound nice and real, while being at a good mix level. The vocals from Henning Basse are solid as well. He sings with both a higher pitched style, and a more toned down aggressive style. Either way Basse can really wail, and he can also soar when needed, all of which is done with a lot of emotion. There are even times when Basse sounds like Michael Kiske. The guitar playing is well done with explosive solos and quality melodic sections, with the riffs driving each song; a tight rhythm section of course backs this up. When everything comes together Metalium create an interesting atmosphere for a Power Metal band, and even though the song elements might not be new, the feeling from their songs are.

There are no filler tracks on here; I enjoyed every one of them. Not one song sounds the same, as the arrangements are very clever and thought-out. I recommend this release to any fan of German Power or Speed Metal, especially if you’re one of those people who prefer no keyboards in their Power Metal.