Artist: Rage
Label: SPV Records
Release: 2002
Rating: 4/5
This one is no joke anymore. After all these years of a long music career, it’s now crystal clear what kind of music Peter “Peavy” Wagner has a nose for. With the lineup shaken up and back to the classic trio, a new creative era has begun for Rage. Mike Terrana on drums and Russian multi-instrumentalist Victor Smolski prove that Peavy has become extremely picky about his musicians. The record is also a new milestone. In terms of sheer ability, the “trio” lineup has practically driven power metal to its outer limits, and progressive touches are nothing special for them. The limited edition also includes a bonus track, “Mistery Trip”, which isn’t a cover but yet another killer original, plus a video for the song “Down”.
Let’s start with the production. It’s much livelier than on the dreamy predecessor “Welcome To The Other Side”, and no wonder, since Charlie Bauerfiend himself, a perfectionist without equal, sat at the producer’s helm. The record was cut at Twilight Hall studio, which is owned by Blind Guardian, and guest Hansi Kürsch contributed backing vocals. In short, the production is superior. The bass line is cranked up, clearly audible, and gives the rhythm section an incredible bombast. There’s not a sonic gap to be found anywhere between the guitars and the rhythm line. The sharp riffs, which all tear up your ears with their machine-gun fire, are something special. They come from a Russian head, of course. So it’s a real breath of fresh air on the dreamy power metal scene, where practically every below-average power metal band lands a deal with the labels and so keeps misleading the masses. On top of his outstanding guitar work, Victor also took care of all the orchestral arrangements, which fit the compositions perfectly. So if you’re looking for perfection in music, the new Rage is tailor-made for you. Thanks to the better production, Peavy’s vocals are once again stronger and much more expressive.
The guitar playing style is quite distinctive: the chords in the riffs are often broken up and played with quality string muting. Victor’s guitar can be hellishly sharp, then in places melt into the sheer softness of melodic passages. A guitarist this unpredictable at his craft is a special treat for even the most demanding and nitpicky ears of any music lover. The variety of guitar solos, decorated with outstanding licks and tremolo use, spews out incredible energy. Victor shows off a supersonic yet super smooth touch in his solos.
With his all-out commitment, Mike once again proves why he’s currently one of the most sought-after session drummers. The tom fills and the snare are tuned in octaves. And let’s not even get started on Mike’s richly stocked arsenal. In the booklet you can find how Mike’s drums are set up. A master of the double bass pedal, a master of improvisation and unpredictability. A fill simply comes flying in just when you don’t expect it. And it’s always played differently. A proper metal jam session.
This record departs from its predecessor. It’s much heavier. Of course, that’s down to the production and the songwriting itself. While “Welcome To The Other Side” leaned more toward prog, “Unity” is a more compact record again. But watch out. The incredible work and chemistry between all three guys, who show a way of musical expression in a new light, with the unpredictability of mostly progressive transitions and the unbelievable fluctuation of atmosphere across the whole record, is an outstanding creation. I can already say it’s on the shortlist for metal album of the year.
The opening track “All I Want” says it all right away. An opening progressive, jagged riff that completely flips on its head in a grooving pre-chorus. The songs penned by Peavy carry a whiff of nineties “Rage” (from the “Black In Mind” to the “Ghosts” era), and they’re also the punchiest and most compact ones, pure sushi. Peavy’s “Insanity” is certainly one of the most beautiful tracks on the record. Otherwise, I won’t go on about them much. They’re all perfectly polished, and the only minus goes to the fifth track (“Dies Irae”), where the chorus is ruined by medieval madrigals from a female choir. And for all the doubters, “Rage” saved a real wrecking ball for the end. The title track, an instrumental seven-minute supersonic demolisher, where the guys just don’t stop, and don’t stop. It’s full of musical twists tied together with outstanding transitions into the perfection of heavy metal. Where Victor catches his breath, Mike breaks loose, and vice versa. The new Rage has to blow your head off, that’s just how it is. Metal.
Lineup
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass guitar
Victor Smolski – guitar
Mike Terrana – drums
Guest musicians:
Hansi Kursch – backing vocals
DC Cooper – backing vocals
Production
Rage & Charlie Bauerfiend
Tracklist
1. All I Want
2. Insanity
3. Down
4. Set This World On Fire
5. Dies Irae
6. World Of Pain
7. Shadows
8. Living My Dreams
9. Seven Deadly Sins
10. You Want It, You’ll Get It
11. Unity
12. Mystery Trip*
13. Down (video track)*
* limited edition bonus track
Album length: 59:52
