Rage's 'Wings of Rage' - Album Review

Germany's Rage are one of those bands who have been around for years and just quietly bubble under the surface. They have released a tonne of albums since forming in 1984 - 24 if you include Prayers of Steel from 1985 when they were still called Avenger and the LMO orchestral collaboration album in 2013 - but have never really broken into the big time. Here in the UK, sadly, bands like Rage are fairly small fry. While they have had a lot more success on mainland Europe where good, old-fashioned heavy metal is still very popular, Rage's concerts in the UK are usually one-offs at the ever-reliable Underworld in Camden Town. It was actually in the depths of the Underworld that I finally acquainted myself with Rage a couple of years ago. The band were in the midst of a co-headline tour with Firewind, and I went along mainly to see the Greek power metal act as well as the support band COP UK who sadly now seem to be defunct. Rage were sandwiched between the other two bands but, despite main man and bassist Peavy Wagner feeling quite under the weather, they impressed me. There is something primal about bands like Rage. They play a sort of metal that is always reliable and always satisfying, while never truly blowing you away. They are one of those comforting bands that you can listen to when you want a shot of easy-listening heavy metal with solid riffs and the odd shout-along chorus. Since the London show in 2018, Rage have become of those bands that I occasionally turn to when I just want to switch off and listen to some uncomplicated metal. This may sound a bit like damning them with faint praise, but I have become something of a casual Rage fan over the past couple of years and can only see myself getting more into the band as time moves forward. I have only scratched the surface of their discography however. 24 albums will take quite some time for me to amass, and many of their earlier efforts seem to be pretty hard to get old these days - which is a shame. A Rage album that is not hard to get hold of though is Wings of Rage, the band's newly-released album and the subject of this blog's first album review of the new year and decade. Reading the album's liner notes Wagner, who incidentally has been the band's only original member since 1987, wanted to capture a bit of all of Rage's era on Wings of Rage - from good old-fashioned heavy metal, through tough power metal, to the dabbles with symphonic metal that the band has toyed with from time to time. A couple of listens to the album shows that Wagner was successful and Rage; which since 2015 has consisted of Wagner, guitarist Marcos Rodriguez, and drummer Vassilios Maniatopoulos; have delivered a very enjoyable platter of new heavy metal tracks that showcase the band's core strength, while occasionally shooting for the stars with stabs of grandness.

Opening with the sound of wind and rain, the album's first track True is a powerful, crunching mid-paced metal anthem that is similar to the band's last couple of albums. Since Rodriguez and Maniatopoulos joined Rage in 2015, Wagner seems to have been wanting to really get back to basics. Both 2016's The Devil Strikes Again and 2017's Seasons of the Black are some of Rage's heaviest and most uncompromising albums, and True sounds like a natural continuation of that sound with Rodriguez's slightly off-kilter riffing giving the track and unconventional and unnerving sound, while Wagner tackles portions of the verses with a creepy spoken word delivery. The recent Rage albums have eschewed the power metal-esque melodies that have been present throughout much of the band's career however, but Wings of Rage sees them back in a big way. Despite the modern sound here, True's chorus is a melodic feast, with Wagner singing in more of an anthemic and catchy way, which instantly draws the listener into the album. Rodriguez's flashy, shredded guitar solo also does this; and the song is arguably the perfect introduction to Rage. A little of everything that makes the band sound the way that they do is included here, and is a great mix of the modern toughness of the past couple of albums and the band's classic era. Let Them Rest in Peace is similar, with a grinding Rodriguez riff and a strong bass presence from Wagner. Rodriguez's presence in the band in particular seems to have really rejuvenated Wagner, and the two have struck up a great songwriting partnership over the course of the past five years. Let Them Rest in Peace probably the most melodic track the pair have come up with yet however, with plenty of strong vocal melodies contained within and some choppy guitar work that, while heavy, whips up plenty of energy while Maniatopoulos lays down a steady beat. Wagner's voice takes a little time to get used to, as he is a little gruff but still melodic enough to stop Rage teetering over into thrash territory. Many German metal bands form the 1980s have singers in the vein of Wagner, but he is probably the gruffest and toughest of the lot. There are no high-pitched screams to be found here, but he still knows how to craft a catchy vocal melody - with the song's chorus being a real high point of the album and a moment that is sure to go down well live. He is not averse to a more aggressive approach occasionally however, with the barked lines that end each chorus almost crossing over into the harsh vocal territory. Chasing the Twilight Zone picks up the pace a bit, and has something of a strong overall 1980s metal vibe. Rodriguez's driving guitar riff has a bit of an old Grave Digger/early Helloween vibe, and the overall pace of the song recalls that era nicely. Maniatopoulos is a little busier behind his drum kit here, with a few pacier sections to get his teeth into, while Wagner employs a more aggressive vocal approach to fit in with the track's overall crunch. There are still plenty of strong melodies here, with another catchy chorus that is sure to stick in the brain after only a couple of listens. The album's opening three songs all possess a really strong chorus, meaning that after only around fifteen minutes most melodic metal fans are going to be well and truly hooked. A fast-paced, shredded solo from Rodriguez is the icing on the cake - and showcases his talents as a guitarist.

Tomorrow continues the melodic, anthemic vibe already established by opening with a gang vocal-led chorus; before Rodriguez launches into another potent riff. This is the fastest track on the album so far, and showcases how Rage were influential to the speed metal movement of the 1980s. While never really sounding like a thrash band, Rage's faster songs - such as this - certainly have the same tempos and energy as your average thrash act; with the melodic guitar leads and anthemic choruses of more traditional metal. Rodriguez is all over this song, whether it be via the song's main driving rhythms or a melodic lead. There are quite a few portions throughout the track where he dominates the sound, such as the Iron Maiden-esque melodies that follow the choruses or another great solo that takes place over a potent galloping rhythm. The album's title track is another pacier song, but one that overall has a more modern sound - typical of the band's past couple of albums. With Rodriguez having dominated much of the album up to this point, it is great to hear Maniatopoulos' playing really dictating play here. The guitar riffing here is much simpler than much of what has passed, with the drums instead coming into their own. Maniatopoulos drives everything here, and often launches into a passage of double bass drumming to up the energy or throws in a slightly off-kilter fill to momentarily take the song in another direction. This approach works well, and it also allows Wagner's voice to shine atop the simpler guitar backing. He particularly impresses during the chorus, which is another melodic moment with some strong vocal lines. It is not as catchy as some of the choruses that come before it, but it still sticks in the brain. Following the short atmospheric instrumental Shadow Over Deadland (The Twilight Transition), A Nameless Grave kicks in with a mid-paced riff that also heralds the first of the album's orchestral moments. Rage have toyed with symphonic trappings throughout their career, particularly during the Victor Smolski era, and have even recorded full albums and played live shows with orchestral backing. Wagner wanted that element of the band's sound to be represented on this album, and many of the tracks found throughout the second half of Wings of Rage feature these embellishments. Rage also sound so much bigger with the strings behind them, and A Nameless Grave shows this. There is so much depth to be added with an orchestra, and the strings here transform what would otherwise be a bit of a plodding number into  dramatic and soaring piece of music. Wagner's gruff voice is a great contrast to the melodic strings, with the chorus benefiting from the pairing - and the slow-paced guitar solo section is also enhanced by the atmospheric depth. Don't Let Me Down ups the pace again, with Rodriguez owning the early portion of the track with some great riffing and a soaring guitar lead. It soon morphs into much more of a group effort however, and is probably one of the most dynamic pieces on the album with a few changes of pace and quite a few interesting ideas to be found throughout. The song's main riff is one of the album's best in my opinion, with the fast-paced verse benefiting from it. At first the track sounds like a fairly typical Rage tune, but then the strings join in again to add depth - before the song slows down quite considerably for the chorus. The chorus is still pretty anthemic, with the dancing strings really contributing to the overall melodic feel of the piece. It is an interesting mix of sounds, but it works well and it all comes together nicely.

Shine a Light seems to naturally continue on from Don't Let Me Down, with one segueing into the other. Shine a Light is a slower track however, and really kicks off in fine fashion with some great old-school sounding soaring guitar leads while the strings add a subtle bed of warmth. It is the album's ballad, and the verses see a really stripped-back sound with the subtle strings again present and Rodriguez laying down a sparse clean guitar melody. Wagner is probably not the best suited to singing ballads in truth, but he gives it his all and manages to inject a fair bit of emotion into his scratchy voice. A monotonous drum beat backs everything up, holding everything together perfectly, but Maniatopoulos soon ramps up his playing a little as the band moves towards the song's chorus. While not exactly heavy, it certainly has more weight than the rest of the track with a bigger guitar sound and Wagner's more typical vocal style present. The ballad works well however, and shows another side to Rage. HTTS 2.0 is a re-recording of Higher Than the Sky, a Rage classic that appeared on 1996's End of all Days. I am not really sure why the band felt the need to re-record the song, as in truth this new version sounds almost identical to the original - just with more of a modern production style. It is nice to hear the song with a little more 'oomph' thanks to the tougher production style, but in truth I do not think the new version of the track really adds much to the album. It is a catchy song, and is one of the band's live staples, so Rage fans will already be more than familiar with it. It is a fun, yet unessential, addition to the album - but it is the new material here that interests me more. Blame it on the Truth returns to the more mid-paced style of the album's early tracks, and has a real crunch to it. Rodriguez's riffing is again really on-point and brings the track to life, with the simple opening riff really having a lot of power behind it. In some ways, I think Rage operate best at this sort of pace. They do the speed metal thing well too, but Wagner's voice is best suited to sing atop these sort of mid-paced, crunchy riffs. His gruffness really comes to the fore here, with his more melodic style coming into play when the song does speed up somewhat during the choruses. The track also has possibly the longest guitar solo of the album, with a multi-part offering that mixes more controlled phrasing with fast-paced shredding. For Those Who Wish to Die, the album's final track, is another winner and is one of my favourite cuts here. It opens with Maniatopoulos' lone drum pattern, before the rest of the band join in for a great groove-based riff. Maniatopoulos' playing is all over this track, and again he really sets the pace, while the subtle strings used throughout add depth. Some portions of the verse basically leave Wagner alone to sing atop the drumming and strings, while Rodriguez comes in every so often to add power. The choruses are heavier, with a bit of thrash influence kicking in, and Rodriguez occasionally throws in a great Eastern-sounding melody - which also informs his short but explosive solo. It is another dynamic track that shows the whole band pulling together, and it rounds out the album in a powerful and heavy manner. Overall, Wings of Rage is another strong album from the band and probably my favourite effort that the current line-up has put out. There is quite a lot going on here, but at its core the album is melodic, heavy, and full of energy - which is exactly what is expected from Rage at this point in their career.

The album was released on 10th January 2020 via Steamhammer/SPV GmbH. Below is the band's promotional video for Let Them Rest in Peace.