Label: Streamhammer
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date EU: March 29th, 2024
Line Up:
Peter “Peavy” Wagner (vocals, bass)
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos (drums)
Jean Borman (guitars)
Tracklist:
Disc 1:
In The Beginning
End Of Illusions
Under A Black Crown
Afterlife
Dead Man’s Eyes
Mortal
Toxic Waves
Waterwar
Justice Will be Mine
Shadow World
Life Among the Ruins
Disc 2:
Cold Desire
Root Of Our Evil
Curse The Night
One World
It’s All Too Much
Dying To Live
The Flood
Lifelines
Interlude
In the End
Rage, a band that has contributed significantly to the growth of German heavy metal, is now celebrating its 40th anniversary. In case you’re wondering if the calculation is wrong – it isn’t. The band’s precursor, Avenger, was founded in 1983 before transforming into Rage in 1986. Over four decades, Rage has released 24 full-length albums and also achieved considerable success in the 90s, a decade that wasn’t particularly favorable for traditional metal bands.
Their collaboration with orchestras allowed the band to experiment with their musical roots, a venture that proved successful. ‘Lingua Mortis’ and the album ‘XIII’ were highlights in the band’s history and remain outstanding to date.
To commemorate four decades of Rage, Peavy and his companions have recorded a new album. ‘Afterlifelines’ is the title of the latest effort by the band, packed with great metal anthems. The double album features a total of 21 songs, reflecting the band’s entire musical heritage.
While the first album, the ‘Afterlife’ part, focuses on the hard-hitting aspect of Rage as a trio, it’s the second album that brings back the orchestral approach. Driven by Peavy’s unique vocals and grooving bass, songs like the title track unleash the full metal flavor of Rage. Alongside Jean Borman’s heavy riffing, the first eleven songs encapsulate the essence of Rage, seamlessly connecting to previous decades. In addition to the irresistible music, the album also features a lyrical concept, offering a dystopian perspective on planet Earth with tracks like the powerful ‘Toxic Waves,’ addressing ocean pollution worldwide. Notable is also the furious ‘Dead Man’s Eye,’ one of the heaviest tracks on the album, addressing the extinction of orangutans.
The second album starts with a song you might already know. ‘Cold Desire,’ one of the three lead singles, has already been revealed. The classic intro immediately signals a change in approach compared to the first eleven songs. Yet the next nine songs aren’t tranquil. ‘Cold Desire’ sets the tone as orchestral arrangements enrich the typical Rage sound rather than competing with it.
Moving forward with the dense and slightly more complex ‘Roots of Our Evil,’ followed by the dark and sinister anthem ‘Curse the Night.’ Regardless of where you drop the needle, you will be rewarded with great music. The rather melodic ‘One World,’ the ballad ‘Dying to Live,’ and the epic ‘Lifelines’ each reflect the Rage trademark sound while offering great entertainment. With a running time of nearly ten minutes, ‘Lifelines’ echoes the essence of 40 years of Rage.
‘Afterlifelines’ is a remarkable celebration of 40 years of Rage. Instead of merely releasing a compilation with a few new tracks, Peavy and bandmates offer a double album that is heavy, soulful, powerful, modern, and old-school. The trio navigates this balancing act with flying colors, and metalheads shouldn’t miss this release.
First published on Markus Heavy Music Blog
Written by: Markus Wiedenmann
Rating 9/10
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