Список групп Speed Heavy Rage (GER) 21

Through the last ten years ambassadors, main players, heroes and many others from the kingdom of power metal, on their way to maintain their identity alive, they tried to be out of their field, by trying or incorporating something different in their music. Some of them failed and yet they keep going on the same way without realizing that that they have nothing to offer. Some others were more brilliant, without pretended themselves to be and they just said “we keep alive the power clue and we add some modern techniques that most of all are metal techniques”. This is what Rage did in their new album “21”.

Things are getting clear and simple for those Germans; they wanted it, made their sound and songs more metal than they could be heard leaving outside all the orchestrations and the symphonic bridges. On their places they built bridges of solid metal that seem according to the years able to stand there alive. Riffs that make you bang not only your head, but your whole self too and you make it clear to yourself that you want to hear them again and again. The truth is that in the first seconds of “Forever Dead” I felt somehow strange, but when the song was over, I wanted more, I was defeated by it and think that before that excellent and airy chorus appears a Pantera riff and you say “how this can be true?”. Whatever you are going to think make it sure as exactly as I am writing it, you are going to hear it for several times again whether you want to assure its style or because you like it.

In “Serial Killer” and “Psycho Terror” our friend Peavy presents a wilder character which consorts perfectly with the flawless playing of the other two gentlemen, Smolski and Hilgers and with the melodic parts that bring back the air of the old periods of the band. Needless to say that Smolski in all the songs shows a recital of high technique by playing whatever modern he can, just like he does in “Destiny” where he runs on high speeds under control.

The truth is that difficulty you will find a song that will not match to the musical size of the album, even “Feel My Pain” which is like a Firewind song, is really great. All the songs are one by one unique and of course there are the best songs in the album like the first mentioned in here and “Death Romantic” and “Black White”. The second one has a bigger value because of its lyrics, as they are referred to the recent situation of the whole world – society and how exactly we, the people face this situation. A painful truth.

In the end the album is really good, but I am not so sure if it will be liked by the fans of the band that prefer the old days with an old sound. On the other hand I am certain that the new listeners will be pleased by the final outcome and may those who have never before listened to Rage, with this album do the beginning. Above everything the album offers tones of metal. Do not stuck on the fact of the modern sound, because you will lose the main substance and you will be the losers after all, pay attention to everything, to the high speeds, to the melody, to the choruses. Get in the game, play Black Jack and have 21!