Millenium

Founded in 1997 by guitarist Ralph Santolla (Deicide, Obituary, Sebastian Bach and many others), Millenium are a hard rock / melodic heavy metal band that had a good run of albums in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band came under the spotlight for being one of the first outlets for powerhouse singer Jorn Lande, who recorded Millenium’s third LP, Hourglass, in 2000. All other three albums, including their 1997 self-titled debut reviewed here, feature instead US singer Todd Plant, whose name some may recognize as backing vocalist for Kamelot and Iced Earth. The rest of the band playing on the 1997’s debut is comprised of bassist Wayne Koho, drummers Oliver Hanson and Roger Stephan (the latter only playing on the last 3 songs), and rhythm guitarist Sean Philips. A number of guest musicians also lends a hand, playing keyboards on several tracks.

Lasting only 37 minutes, the album is an easy-listen. The 9 tracks are compact melodic AOR/ hard rock tunes that occasionally veer into slightly heavier territory, like opener “Together as One”, a song that would not have disfigured on one of the early Rainbow’s LPs. This happen only rarely, though, and most songs of the album have instead a more direct association with the work of artists like Deep Purple, Joe Lynn Turner and Glenn Hughes. Todd Plant’s husky voice is particularly reminiscent of Turner’s, which makes the connection with some of the aforementioned bands even stronger.

Throughout the album, the guitars are the driving-force behind the music. Santolla is a gifted player who can churn out excellent riffs, crunchy but highly melodic, as well as great solos that strike a good balance between shred and feel. Keyboards are used to add texture, but always take second place compared to the guitars. Rhythmically there isn’t an awful lot to remark upon: Hanson and Stephan keep a steady beat with a few fills to break the pace, while the bass remains quite inconspicuous in the mix. Todd Plant’s vocals are melodic and catchy, and follow the standard formula of using moodier lines in the verses and singalong melodies in the choruses, which is a hallmark of this type of music. He has a good voice. He may not be at the levels of the best singers in the genre, but has decent range and power, and puts a good amount of feel and emotions into his singing, making for a charismatic presence on the album.

The album starts with a massive bang: “Together as One” is a fantastic song, built around a beautiful, driving riffs and featuring excellent vocal hooks on the chorus. Santolla’s solos are top notch here, and the keyboard/guitar duel extravananza in the coda makes for a really engaging conclusion to the song. The rest of the record, however, struggles to reproduce the level of quality and intensity of the opener. Instead, the album plods along with tracks that feel slightly phoned-in and rely a little too heavily on the tropes of the genre (including sentimental lyrics about girls). “Marianne”, the ballad “Almost Made It to Heaven” and “Hold On” are probably the strongest tunes, thanks to slightly more interesting vocal melodies, but in the grand scheme of things they barely leave a mark on the listener.

Overall, Millenium’s debut does little more than confirm the proficiency of the musicians involved in the project. Santolla is a talented guitarist, Todd Plant has a good voice, the rest of the band is solid too. But there’s little magic in the songwriting and nothing but the opening track really leave a strong impression on the listener.