Album Details

• Artist: Metalium
• Album: Nothing To Undo (chapter Six)
• Label: Crash
• Year of Release: 2007
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2007-09-06

From the same regions that brought us Blind Guardian and other metal heavyweights comes Metalium, an experienced 4-piece power-metal outfit who've made a name for themselves through dedication and hard work. Nothing To Undo: Chapter Six is their (you guessed it) 6th studio album, since 1999. And they're working on their 7th currently. Impressive work ethic. But does the music stand up?

   It would certainly seem so. Despite this being my first experience with Metalium, if their previous records touch anywhere near the heights reached on Nothing To Undo, I would be interested to hear them. What sets them apart from many power-metal outfits is the near total lack of cheese, in lyrics or themes or otherwise. Synths act as enablers, spurring the main drive of the songs on, which is almost always focused on the monster riffs of Matthias Lange. 'Mindless' is a perfect example, but the album is packed with them. Heavy on choral effect and anthemic feel. 

   Vocalist Henning Basse has a versatile set of pipes, more than capable for this style of music. Soaring, ballsy but thankfully free of the extremely-high-pitched variety many of his counterparts in the scene stick to. He works mostly in the low-to-mid registers, and he works each with practiced skill and believable passion.

   While Nothing To Undo stands by itself as a solid album through and through, I will nit-pick a touch and give the oft-used and arguably-used-up argument against bands sounding too similar at times; which is not to say Metalium has failed to impress or surprise, that's simply not the case. What I'm saying is they play it just a little too safe; a little more lowering of the guard in terms of songwriting and I think you've got the next Blind Guardian or Helloween in Metalium.  

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