Rage's 'Resurrection Day' - Album Review

Despite being one of the pioneers of the German speed/power metal scene alongside bands like Running Wild, Helloween, and Blind Guardian; Herne's Rage have had to settle for a more modest existence in recent years. Their influence in their infant years is undeniable but, while Blind Guardian and Helloween in particular really kicked on and became big names in the metal world, Rage never really found the success that some of their peers did. These days, Blind Guardian and Helloween can usually pull a crowd of a couple of thousand at a London headline show, while Rage usually need to make do with Camden's The Underworld - and often with a strong co-headliner in tow to help attract the punters. This is not a bad thing by any means, but it just goes to show that early influence is not everything. One of the things that I think has held Rage back somewhat over the years is their ever-changing line-up. The band have rarely had a consistent line-up for more than a few years - and even during their early days and heyday there was a lot of chopping and changing. Peavy Wagner, the band's singer, bassist, and main songwriter, is Rage's only consistent member - and a lot of guitarists and drummers have passed through the band's ranks since their 1984 genesis. While this has led to a pretty varied catalogue with some distinct eras, it has certainly done no favours for the band's overall momentum and consistency. Rage's catalogue as a result is one of peaks and troughs, but when the band hit gold they tend to do so in a big way. While I am certainly not familiar with all of Rage's albums, as there are a lot of them, I have heard a good chunk of their catalogue. The latest addition to my Rage collection is a copy of their newly-released 25th album Resurrection Day - which follows hot on the heels of last year's excellent Wings of Rage (which I reviewed here). Like many early 2020 releases however, Wings of Rage's promotional touring cycle was curtailed, and the album has already become a bit of a forgotten entry in the band's canon as a result. It did not help that guitarist Marcos Rodriguez, who had been Wagner's right hand man since 2015, left the band later in the year - effectively bringing another era of Rage to a close. Wagner is not one to be easily deterred however, and brought in not one but two replacements for Rodriguez - making Rage a four-piece again for the first time since 1999. Joining Wagner and incumbent drummer Vassilios Maniatopoulos on Resurrection Day are guitarists Jean Bormann (AngelInc; Rage & Ruins) and Stefan Weber (Rebattered; Axxis) - who both help the album to one of the most riff-heavy and interesting albums from a guitar standpoint in Rage's career. Resurrection Day feels like a true 'band' album too, with all four of the current line-up contributing to the songwriting throughout. As such, the album feels, even more so than Wings of Rage, like a real mix of Rage through the ages - but with a big focus on hooks to keep all of the songs interesting.

Something that is clear from the off is how much Resurrection Day expands on the band's somewhat symphonic side. This is a sound that the band toyed with throughout the 2000s and early 2010s during the Victor Smolski era, but it was largely abandoned after his departure - with the first two albums of the Rodriguez era going for a more straight ahead metal sound. Wings of Rage flirted with the strings again however, but Resurrection Day takes the orchestral sounds further - with many of the songs featuring string arrangements courtesy of Pepe Herrero. The instrumental opener, Memento Vitae (Overture), sounds like it could have come from any number of power/symphonic metal albums - but it sets the tone nicely given the prevalence of the orchestral arrangements to come. It segues into the album's title track, which is a piece that really sums up the overall sound of the album. The new twin-guitar assault of Bormann and Weber is instantly put in the spotlight, and the strings add a real depth to the song. Rage have not sounded this epic since the most exuberant moments of the Smolski era, but there is still plenty of the band's recently re-established crunch. The strings rarely overpower the band, and the balance has been well-struck throughout between the band's core sound and their more symphonic side. The mid-paced punch of the title track is classic Rage, while the chorus is packed full of hooks. Wagner's voice can be a bit of an acquired taste at times, but his gritty delivery always sounds powerful. Subtle chorus harmonies add some additional melody; and the song overall is a key representation of the modern Rage sound. Not every song here is packed with string arrangements however. Songs such as lead single Virginity are more akin to the band's mid-1990s heyday, with barrelling twin-guitar riffing forming a bed for Wagner's snarling vocals. Having two guitarists in the band again allows for some more inventive arrangements, and there are more subtle guitar leads present in the mix this time around due to the expanded line-up. There are moments in Virginity that really benefit from this approach, such as the hooky chorus, and the lengthy guitar solo section that features both players showcases their distinct tones and styles. A New Land is another track that greatly benefits from the presence of an additional guitarist. The opening moments of the song have distinct rhythm and lead parts, while the overall doubling up of the riffing during the punchy verses allows the band to sound bigger than they have for a while. Rodriguez was a great fit for Rage, but at times his guitar playing could be a little modern and dry-sounding. This had its pros and cons, but Bormann and Weber certainly seem more old-school in style - which means this album has more in common with classic Rage than their more recent work. The chorus of A New Land showcases this, as it has a great old-fashioned power metal vibe with Maniatopoulos' double bass drumming injecting some additional pace - which helps it to stand out in what is largely a rather mid-paced album.

Arrogance and Ignorance certainly feels like the heaviest song on the album so far. The album in general is heavy and crunchy, but Arrogance and Ignorance takes occasional diversions into somewhat thrashy territory with more double bass drum rolls and some harsher vocals from Wagner. Considering his gritty singing style, Wagner really goes for a true harsh vocal approach. The intro to this song, however, does feature a handful of growled lines from him - and this works well against the faster-paced riffing that backs them. Much of the song is more traditional Rage in style however, complete with another strong chorus, but the heavier moments help it to stand out from the pack - which is no bad thing. Man in Chains opens slowly, and the song is the first true change of pace since the opening orchestral intro. The clean guitar opening, with leads atop it, helps to break up the heavy riffing - but the calm is short-lived as a choppy riff soon kicks in which drives the song from that point on. The song is a great mix of old and new in style. Some of the riffing channels the more modern sounds of the Rodriguez era somewhat, but the chorus is proper old school power metal - with slowly-changing guitar chords set against a driving double bass drum groove. All eras of Rage have been showcased in the song as a result, and it is great how the band managed to make all of the sounds work together in a natural way. The Age of Reason opens with a brief orchestral swell, before it morphs into the fastest track on the album up to this point. Maniatopoulos' drumming throughout the piece is furious, and he is the standout performer throughout thanks to his fast footwork and inventive arrangement that fuses lots of different beats together throughout. Despite this, however, the song is also a real showcase for what the current Rage line-up can do. It is another song that demonstrates the benefits of having two guitarists in the band with a number of twin-guitar harmonies, while the chorus is packed full of classic Wagner vocal melodies. I like the way that the band harmonise with him during many of the album's choruses, as it helps to take some of the rough edge away from his voice - meaning that the choruses are a little more melodic overall. The contrast between the choruses and the verses work well throughout, with The Age of Reason being a good showcase for the style. Monetary Gods, another of the album's singles, is the first track on the album to go for more of a groove-based approach overall. Grooves were a big part of the Rodriguez era, so the song sounds like a bit of a throwback to the band's recent past as a result. Rage's riffing is more traditional metal in style, but the groove-based approach also works - and Monetary Gods stands as as a result due to its fat sound and more emphasis on snaking guitar rhythms rather than old-school riffing and soloing.

Mind Control opens with some excellent guitar playing, including lots of old-school twin-lead guitar harmonies, and the whole song is another that takes on more of a true power metal vibe throughout. The strings add melodic depth, while another lead guitar break is never too far away - with Bormann and Weber taking plenty of opportunities throughout to team up and lay down some harmonised leads. This, combined with another driving pacy chorus, all adds up to another song that could have easily sat on one of Rage's classic era mid-1990s albums. Despite the heaviness, there is definitely more of an emphasis on melody throughout Mind Control - which further adds to its overall older sound. Traveling Through Time is another song that builds on the symphonic side of the band's sound in a big way, and there are moments of the song that sound more like Rhapsody than a traditional Rage track - at least until Wagner starts singing! The triumphant strings are a big part of the song's sound, while folky guitar leads add some heroic vibes - with the fast-paced leads injecting some energy into what would otherwise be more of a grander, mid-paced song. The chorus does that classic power metal thing of slowing down somewhat, which further adds to the song's overall heroic sound. The song is one of my favourites on the album as a result, as it is something a bit different for the band - and a real emphasis of their symphonic side. Black Room is the album's ballad, and it is a nice change of pace following the bombastic and over-the-top Traveling Through Time. Rage have done plenty of ballads in the past, but it is not a format that they often focus on - but with the use of strings throughout the album it makes sense that they choose to strip back the heaviness for one song (or least part of one). The song's opening half is very gentle, with clean guitar melodies and subtle strings that sound very different from the rest of the album. Wagner uses the cleaner side of his voice to good effect throughout, and parts of the song have a strong emotional tug as a result. The second half does see things ramp up, but the song never reaches the heaviness that the rest of the album does. It maintains its overall ballad vibe nicely, which provides a welcome change of pace that helps to keep the overall album somewhat varied in sound. It is left to the heavy Extinction Overkill to close the album out. Following the quieter previous number, Extinction Overkill really hits hard with its great mix of thrash-based speed and old-school metal guitar harmonies. It is one of the album's most furious cuts, and also one one of my favourites. It was certainly a case of leaving (one of) the best until last, and a band that is now 25 albums deep into their career has no right to sound this heavy or furious. It is great that Wagner still has the drive to write songs of this quality, and it also shows what the newer members bring to the table - as there are plenty of shredded guitar moments throughout. It is a powerful way to close out the album, and it is great to hear the band sounding so potent. It is not just on the closing track, however, that Rage sound potent. The whole of Resurrection Day is full of strong performances and genuine quality, meaning that the latest era of Rage is off to a strong start. With two albums in as many years, I imagine that it will be a little while until we see another from the band - but I am looking forward to seeing where this line-up goes next.

The album was released on 17th September 2021 via Steamhammer/SPV GmbH. Below is the band's promotional video for Virginity.