RAGE
Afterlifelines
(Heavy Metal | Power Metal)
Label: SPV (Steamhammer)
Format: (LP)
Release: 29.03.2024
The German and long-time international band veterans RAGE around band founder Peavy Wagner are celebrating an incredible 40 years of band history. And that’s what the three men do, including Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos (TRI STATE CORNER) since 2015 and guitarist Jean Bormann (ANGELINC) since 2020. Stefan Weber, who has been a second guitarist for many years, is no longer there. Of course, RAGE don’t celebrate alone, but invite their fans to join in the celebration with their new double album “Afterlifelines”.
Divided into two halves, the trio offers the full RAGE service from hard heavy/power metal in a classic three-piece constellation to boldly arranged and orchestrated epics. It starts with CD1, which was christened “Afterlife”. As mentioned, there are the band’s classic crushers. From fast bangers to warbling hymns to almost death/thrash-like tracks, it’s all there. And of course the whole thing is at the highest level and many a track like the “Under A Black Crown”, which quickly penetrates the cerebral cortex, with its fast beats and driving chorus, the thoughtful “Toxic Waves”, which exercises social criticism, or the motivated-sounding “Shadow World” . Anyone who knows RAGE knows what to expect, and yet somehow everything sounds more energetic and focused than before. Not that the predecessors were bad, but somehow you can tell that the guys have put in extra effort here.
The second half of the album is called “Lifelines” and, thanks to orchestration by Marco Grasshoff (POWERWORLD, ANGELINC, among others), who was hired for the more opulent tones, goes in the direction of albums like “Lingua Morits” or “XIII”, but also shows a further development and of course also a slightly different side, since Victor Smolski, who, as we know, left RAGE in 2015 for his new project ALAMANC, was once responsible for it.
But Peavy and his men have everything well under control there too. From delicate piano pieces, to supportive and restrained string accompaniment, to opulent orchestration with strings, timpani, trumpets and everything else that goes with it straight out of the box, this is the place to be. But thanks to double bass attacks, crisp riffs and Peavy’s aggressive vocals, the level of hardness is not neglected here either. The opening “Cold Desire” already has what it takes to become an evergreen, but the excitingly structured “One World”, which effortlessly gets under your skin, and the final acoustic piece “In The End” are also mentioned as further listening tips. But actually RAGE can’t report any failures or weak songs on either the first or second disc.
40 years of RAGE! This is perfectly celebrated on “Afterlifelines” and shows the group stronger than they have been for a long time, despite another change in guitarist. I would like to say: Here’s to another 40 years, so that Peavy can continue to release such fat, deep and interesting albums when he’s 99!
Tracklist „Afterlifelines“:
Disc 1 – Afterlife
1. In the Beginning
2. End Of Illusions
3. Under A Black Crown
4. Afterlife
5. Dead Man’s Eyes
6. Mortal
7. Toxic Waves
8. Waterwar
9. Justice Will Be Mine
10. Shadow World
11. Life Among The Ruins
Disc 2 – Lifelines
1. Cold Desire
2. Root Of Our Evil
3. Curse the Night
4. One World
5. It’s All Too Much
6. Dying To Live
7. The Flood
8. Lifelines
9. Interlude
10. In The End
Total playing time: 39:53 + 45:57
Band-Links:
RAGE – AfterlifelinesLineUp:Peter “Peavy” Wagner (Vocs/Bass)Jean Bormann (Guitar) Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos (Drums)Guests:Marco Grasshoff (Keys, Orchestration)8.5…Buy on Amazon{“@context”: “http://schema.org/”,
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