The Australian duo known as Ilium are back with their latest full-length release of melodic power & progressive metal, this one titled Carcinigeist. Jason Hodges (guitar, lyrics) and Adam Smith (guitar, bass, keyboards) have once again enlisted the help of Lord Tim (vocals, production) and Tim Yatras (drums), both of whom appeared on their recent EP Enviro-Metal. For those of you who enjoyed Lance King in the vocal slot with Ilium in recent years, Lord Tim picks things right up and is in fine form with his Kiske/Tate inspired wailing, giving songs like "Imbecylum" and the raging title track a classic, Helloween styled attack that is a joy to listen to. Plenty of tasty twin guitar harmonies abound, which you can hear on "Anachronistica", "Messiah for the Broken", and the proggy "Harlequin Tree", as these two fine players rip it up with majestic leads and loads of crunchy riffs. "Uncle Ruppert's Puppet Show" gallops along in fine European power metal tradition, while "Question Air" adds in some symphonic keyboards to complement the blazing guitars and acrobatic drumming.
As is always the case with Ilium, their songs are littered with lyrical content relating to the human condition, greed, corruption, environmental & wildlife concerns, and the health of our planet. Throw in a splendid production job, heavy hitting & memorable songs, expert musicianship and vocals, as well as stellar artwork, and Carcinogeist results in a very fine power metal release that I can easily recommend.
Track Listing
1.
Imbecylum 04:59
2.
Carcinogeist 04:12
3.
Anachronistica 05:22
4.
Haunted By The Ghost Of Me 03:10
5.
Messiah For The Broken 04:45
6.
Harlequin Tree 06:51
7.
The Serpent Maligned 03:45
8.
Uncle Rupert's Puppet Show 03:07
9.
Question Air 04:37
10.
Vigilante Vagrant 04:01