Chinchilla The Last Millennium
Metalblade 2002
By Russell Garwood
German band Chinchilla released The Last Millennium, their fourth album, through Metalblade records. The power metal five-piece replaced original vocalist Martin Obermeier (of Letter X fame), with Thomas Laasch after the bands second album Horroscope. Otherwise the line up has remained static, consisting of guitarist Ube Gerstenmeyer, Marc Peters on bass, drummer Steffen Theurer and Marc Steck on keyboards. Backing vocals are provided not only by the drummer and the bassist, but also by Andy B. Frank of Symphorce and Brainstorm fame, and Artur Diessner from Fuse. The music is catchy, compelling, light power metal, heavily influenced by the NWOBHM sound, with plentiful instrumentation and slightly raw but tuneful vox. The guitar work is accomplished and the drums, while straightforward, fit the music well.
After an atmospheric opener and title track, War Machine provides a catchy beginning and demonstrates the impressive guitars and vocals. Demons We Call is another memorable effort; the choruss vocal hooks are unforgettable while Nighttrain Of Death is a heavier encounter. Other standouts include the cheesy but cool Victims Of The Night and a classic cover of Thin Lizzys The Boys Are Back In Town. When on top form Chinchilla write amazingly catchy tunes and are a pleasure to listen to, and for much of The Last Millenium they play at their best. The high quality is unfortunately not consistent and several of the songs dont live up to the bands promise; while technically proficient they lack the qualities which make others standout. These tracks are relatively few and The Last Millennium is a must for all power metal fans. Others may not find this such a necessity
Metalblade 2002
By Russell Garwood
German band Chinchilla released The Last Millennium, their fourth album, through Metalblade records. The power metal five-piece replaced original vocalist Martin Obermeier (of Letter X fame), with Thomas Laasch after the bands second album Horroscope. Otherwise the line up has remained static, consisting of guitarist Ube Gerstenmeyer, Marc Peters on bass, drummer Steffen Theurer and Marc Steck on keyboards. Backing vocals are provided not only by the drummer and the bassist, but also by Andy B. Frank of Symphorce and Brainstorm fame, and Artur Diessner from Fuse. The music is catchy, compelling, light power metal, heavily influenced by the NWOBHM sound, with plentiful instrumentation and slightly raw but tuneful vox. The guitar work is accomplished and the drums, while straightforward, fit the music well.
After an atmospheric opener and title track, War Machine provides a catchy beginning and demonstrates the impressive guitars and vocals. Demons We Call is another memorable effort; the choruss vocal hooks are unforgettable while Nighttrain Of Death is a heavier encounter. Other standouts include the cheesy but cool Victims Of The Night and a classic cover of Thin Lizzys The Boys Are Back In Town. When on top form Chinchilla write amazingly catchy tunes and are a pleasure to listen to, and for much of The Last Millenium they play at their best. The high quality is unfortunately not consistent and several of the songs dont live up to the bands promise; while technically proficient they lack the qualities which make others standout. These tracks are relatively few and The Last Millennium is a must for all power metal fans. Others may not find this such a necessity
