This is the fifth record from this German power metal band, and I just can't see why they've survived this long. Years ago a friend of mine told me about this hilarious CD he had bought on a whim because he was traveling and needed something to listen to. That CD was the first Metalium disc, which he had bought because, well, the band is called Metalium, and they have ridiculous album covers, so that should be entertaining, right? Sure, I remember it was good for a chuckle, but I wouldn't have paid $15 for it myself. And the same goes for this one, except for the fact that it's barely even good for a chuckle. Sure, the narrated intro is overdramatic and cheesy and hard not to laugh at, but beyond that? On occasion there are cool riffs or catchy choruses - the staples of power metal - but the recording is quite annoying and the songwriting does little for me. I fucking love power metal when it's done right, but aside from some scorching solos this band isn't doing anything for me. First off, the recording is way too thin. The drums sound about right and the vocals are okay, but there's almost no bass in the mix (odd since there's a significant gap right in the center) and the guitar tone is overly thin and surprisingly has a bit of a raw bite to it, which certainly isn't right for this style of pretty, polished metal. A smoother sound with more low-end and a crunchier, more controlled guitar tone could make some of this material come across more powerfully, but right now things are sounding pretty irritating as a result. Another irritating characteristic of this CD is that the vocalist frequently tends to go overboard with screeching wails and lots of layering. Writing-wise the band offers ample tempo changes, which is good, it's just a shame that most of their riffs aren't that great. I mean, check out the start of "Destiny" for a lesson in how painfully mediocre and bland metal can get. I'm also not really buying the way that tracks like "Demons of Insanity" actually try to be heavier throwbacks to 80's thrash metal blended with the type of staccato rhythms often employed by progressive metal bands. I don't know, maybe I actually miss the fun aspects of power metal on this release since the band really sounds like they're trying to be serious, and I can't take this stuff but so seriously in any case. "Cyber Horizon" is pretty classically styled in structure, dropping some nice dissonant chords and classic metal picking patterns with a damn solid chorus and strong melodies. But that title? Get outta here, man. I can't hang with that goofy shit. "Cyber Horizon"? Ugh. And don't forget the "epic" eight-minute pseudo ballads like "Endless believer" (or painful six-minute synth/piano ballads like "Silence of the Night"). "Demons of Insanity" is, obviously, a stupid album title, so of course the artwork follows suit and is extremely cheesy, straight down to the band photos being faded against photographs of water, earth, wind, and fire. So visually this one looks pretty weak, and the lyrics? I mean, who cares, right? Power metal's never been a genre known for impeccably insightful lyrics, so... I'll pass there. Really the entire record's just a huge snoozer. I mean, there are 14 fuckin' songs on this thing, when there shouldn't really be more than 10 or so, and the momentum gets demolished by weak riffs or ballad-y sounding crap that goes on and on with no end in sight. So the guitar solos are really the only enjoyable aspect about this disc, as "Cyber Horizon" is the one song that's actually well written in its entirety. So, no thanks. I had hoped this one would crack a smile for me, but no dice.
[Crash]
Running time - 66:13, Tracks: 14
[Notable tracks: Cyber Horizon]
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