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Metalium

Incubus: Chapter Seven

Written by: PP on 26/02/2008 16:31:24

Reviewing another power/speed metal album directly after Helloween is always going to be tough, because you have a basis of comparison fresh in your memory, and that comparison is in 9 out of 10 cases going to be in favour of Helloween. Nevertheless, Metalium\'s seventh album \"Incubus: Chapter Seven\" gives a pretty decent shot at a matching rating.

Just like on their previous album, not much has changed on Metalium\'s approach to power metal. It\'s still about majestic soundscapes and heavy power riffs all the way through, though with the exception of vocalist Henning Basse, who has improved significantly in both his vocal delivery and arrangement. Brilliant example of his progress as a singer can be found in \"Take Me Higher\", where especially the chorus sees him raise his voice to higher grounds than heard before. What makes it specifically worth mentioning is the vibration in his voice when he reaches the higher grounds. Think of the wavy way in which a flag moves in heavy wind, and try to imagine that in vocal form. Instrumentally, the song doesn\'t fall short either.

Similarly, the albums title track \"Incubus\" sees him utilize the same vibrant style, which adds much needed depth to the bands somewhat superficial sound. Sure, the solos are blazing and the massive atmosphere is text book power metal. Throughout the record you will hear a band that\'s perfected their sound to exactly how they want it to sound, but that\'s to be expected after seven albums anyway. However, what Metalium has in the size of their sound they lack in memorable songs. Most songs blend together and follow the same formula, even though that formula is decent.

The overall vibe I get while listening to Metalium is that while they certainly know what they are doing, they are still missing that one, simple ingredient, something that\'ll make them stand out from the others. Most of \"Chapter Seven\" I heard already on their previous album \"Chapter Six\", and alas, the grade isn\'t any higher than

Download: Incubus, Take Me Higher
For the fans of: Primal Fear, Iced Earth, Helloween, Symphorce
Listen: Myspace
Buy: iTunes

Release date 22.02.2008
Massacre Records
Provided by Gordeon Music