Metalium
Hero-Nation -Chapter Three

April 2002
Released: 2002, Massacre Rec
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Arto Lehtinen

Well this highly advertised and claimed German power metal combo has approached with a new third album, Surprise ! I don't know if I am getting a little bit and bored and in a way or another saturated by a huge amount of all kinds of power metal bands floating around cos I am getting to be kinda sceptical and even a little bit prejudiced whenever getting some power band's cds to my hands nowadays.



Anyway during the short existence Metalium has managed to reach the solid following in Central and South European countries as their previous albums have sold damn well and entered various charts there and it ain't any unexpected wonder if the third album has been waited like the rising sun. The 11 track Hero Nation is based on fairytales of various both fictional and historical persons from different European countries such as Nero from Italy, Spanish El Cid and of course the Scandinavian mythology figure Odin.

But as for the musical present of Hero Nation, to be honest the material has basically been bended to the traditional power metal approach by having the typical high and low vocals by Henning Bosse whose voice indeed being quite nerve-racking arises to the upper register more than once testing at least my tolerance and the material is in general the standard power metal approach belonging and sharing the same kindred spirit category along with a punch of other European heroic power metal combos as having having brilliantly and razor shaprly carried out albums in terms of the production and so on.

But the most interesting point making the album a worth check is a visit of two let's say now legendary hard rock veterans namely the keyboard specialist no other than Don Airey, having gathered the fame in Rainbow, Whitesnake and at the moment in Deep Purple as a replacement for Jon Lord and the former Uriah Heep member Ken Hensley.



But anyone digging the safety guaranteed power metal assault Hero-Nation is a real must to pick up to other album power albums.