Metalium

History

Metalium came together when bassist Lars Ratz, who had played in Viva, Zed Yago, and Velvet Viper, joined forces with vocalist Henning Basse, formerly of Burgeon Street and Brainstorm, and newcomer guitarist Matthias Lange. Ratz’s management company connected the German musicians with American drummer Mike Terrana and Savatage guitarist Chris Caffery during a European tour. The five decided to work on a single concept album with a science fiction and fantasy storyline, played in a speed metal style, aiming for a release before the year 2000. The story centers on Michael, a metal fan who takes a magic potion and transforms into the unbeatable warrior Metalian. Their debut, Millennium Metal – Chapter One, arrived in 1999, hitting number 75 on the German charts and earning positive reviews. That success kept the band going and allowed the Metalian saga to continue. For the second album, State of Triumph – Chapter Two, released in 2000, Jack Frost and Mark Cross stepped in for Caffery and Terrana. Both Frost and Cross were gone by the end of 2001, leaving Lange as the only guitarist for studio recordings and bringing in drummer Michael Ehré for the third album in 2002. Also in 2001, the band put out a DVD and video called Metalian Attack, which came with a seven-track live CD and a full comic book drawn by Markus Mayer. Over the next years, Metalium toured Europe, Russia, and South America, appearing at many major festivals. They released six more albums up to 2009, plus a second live DVD, Metalian Attack pt. 2, in 2006. On September 13, 2010, the band announced on its website that it would break up in 2011. Lars Ratz died on April 18, 2021, in an ultralight crash in Vilafranca de Bonany, Spain, at age 53. On August 31, 2021, the surviving members released a single in his memory, featuring Grave Digger bassist Jens Becker and Deep Purple’s Don Airey on keyboards. After rumors of a full comeback, Henning Basse announced in 2023 that he, Matthias Lange, and new guitarist Bruno Nunes would return as Metalium. Soon after, the band confirmed bassist Fabio Carito and drummer Marcus Dotta as the final members of the lineup.