Rage: Wings Of Rage version on vinyl 2LP in Standard edition. This particular edition was published in Germany in publishing company Steamhammer on 10. January 2020.
Few metal bands can boast such an extensive, multi-layered and varied career as Rage. Formed in the spring of 1983 in Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia around singer and bassist Peavy Wagner, the band has incorporated a huge range of stylistic nuances into its overall concept over the course of its long career. There have been records with a focus on gritty thrash, but also discs of anthemic power metal and - in the truest sense of the word - symphonic-oriented works. All this and much more can now be found on the latest Wings Of Rage album released by this three-piece band. Peavy and his bandmates Marcos Rodriguez (guitar) and Vassilios Maniatopoulos (drums) have managed to sum up the versatility and experience of the band's thirty-five year history in twelve actual songs, while opening a new chapter. "The material on Wings Of Rage is as varied as the history of Rage," confirms Peavy, "but always combined with a clearly recognizable further development of our strengths, in other words: a contemporary style of playing and a cutting-edge sound." Coming out as the first single on October 18, 2019 is the track "'Let Them Rest In Peace", for which Rage filmed the video in a disused paper factory. With the great variety on Wings Of Rage, Wagner, Rodriguez and Maniatopoulos can be absolutely sure that every fan will find exactly what they like. Fans of gritty thrash tracks with typical Rage attitude will be in for a treat with cuts like the opener "True" with its dark verse, the first support track "Let Them Rest In Peace", the title track "Wings Of Rage" and the intense "Don't Let Me Down". For fans of atmospherically dense power metal anthems, Rage are represented in particular by the tracks "Tomorrow" and "Chasing The Twilight Zone", while elements of classic orchestrations, as they were once represented especially on 1998's classic album 13, can be found in the progressive "A Nameless Grave" and in the unadulterated ballad "Shine A Light". Speaking of album classics, Wings Of Rage closes with a track called "HTTS 2.0.", whose cryptic acronym hides a modernized reissue of the single "Higher Than The Sky" from 1996's End Of All Days, quasi as a reference to the musicians' own history. The finale of the utterly compelling new release is "For Those Who Wish To Die", a rather unusual number for Rage, featuring a dominant drum groove. In addition, there is an atmospheric reprise of "Shine A Light", but only as a bonus track on the vinyl double album. Rage produced the new album themselves, Wings Of Rage was mixed and mastered by Marcos Rodriguez at Burscheid's "Soundchaser Studio". The cover art, which is worth seeing, was designed by Stan W. Decker (Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Primal Fear, among others). But not only musically and production-wise Rage put all their efforts into Wings Of Rage again, lyrically Peavy also shows that they look far beyond the horizon of pure metal themes. "I've always preferred to write about outsiders, people on the fringes of our society, those who have lost their wealth and abundance. This underlying socially critical tone runs through the album like a red thread." In addition, "Nameless Grave" is dedicated to the tens of millions of people who have lost their lives in many senseless wars. Peavy: "Cemeteries and countless anonymous graves are filled with people who had to do the dirty work for despots like Hitler and Napoleon. While their employers have gone down in history, the victims are nameless and forgotten." Fortunately, Rage are neither nameless nor forgotten, quite the opposite: on Wings Of Rage, the band proves as nimble as ever.
Album spans genres Rock, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal and Power Metal. 2LP Vinyl.