ILIUM — Genetic Memory (review)

ILIUM — Genetic Memory album cover Album · 2011 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
J-Man
Ilium are one of the more accomplished acts on the Australian metal scene, and with Genetic Memory the band has officially released five full-length studio efforts. This melodic power metal outfit, despite their location, plays the exact style we would expect from many European acts - expect plenty of double bass pedal rhythms, commanding vocals, fast-paced riffs, and prominent keyboards. As such, Genetic Memory offers very little in the way of innovation; this is the same style of power metal that's been around for the last twenty years, and Ilium seldom deviates from that formula. If you like your melodic power metal to be well-played and professional, then Ilium may have created something worth your attention. Otherwise, Genetic Memory is a fairly generic effort that rarely offers anything new to the genre.

Despite my gripes with Ilium's rather "safe" approach to the melodic power metal genre, the music on Genetic Memory is still unquestionably the work of talented and skillful musicians. The compositions are always well-written, the songs are always executed professionally, and their are quite a few killer riffs here as well. The songs themselves aren't that outstanding, but that may be due to the fact that they're all pretty standard, run-of-the-mill power metal tracks. The thin production is also surprisingly weak - I really would've liked a cleaner, more polished sound in this instance.

It may seem like I have a lot of negative things to say about Genetic Memory, but the reality is that this is still a high-quality melodic power metal effort. The musicianship is strong, the songs are well-written, and the arrangements are obviously well put-together. I just think that it lacks the originality and memorability to grab the attention of most power metal fans. Established fans of Ilium will definitely want to give Genetic Memory a shot, but newcomers can probably skip this one. An average 3 stars are deserved for this average album.
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