Steamhammer
26 September 2025
Metal
Line Up:
Peter “Peavy” Wagner (vocals, bass)
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos (drums)
Jean Borman (guitars)
Tracklist:
01. A New World Rising 1:20
02. Innovation 3:17
03. Against The Machine 4:11
04. Freedom 3:11
05. We’ll Find A Way 3:49
06. Cross The Line 4:04
07. Next Generation 3:38
08. Fire In Your Eyes 3:28
09. Leave Behind 4:12
10. Paradigm Change 3:28
11. Fear Out Of Time 5:17
12. Behind The Shield Of Misery 3:50
13. Straight To Hell ’25 3:29
There are two possibilities here: either the Rage musicians have fully transformed into mere craftsmen and self-copiers, or I’ve grown older, and even professionally executed classic heavy metal no longer surprises me. What’s more, I’ve got this persistent feeling that I’m becoming like a broken record, constantly repeating the same refrain: “this isn’t revolutionary or a leap forward for the genre, BUT…” (followed by a list of justifications for why this album isn’t terrible). And don’t think this only applies to heavy metal – I find myself saying identical things about modern alternative rock (which I can only describe as wimpy), most progressive acts (sadly, there’s not much progression in today’s progressive scene…), and especially extreme metal bands (where 99% seem completely stuck in a rut). Could the cynics and skeptics be right that rock music is genuinely in deep crisis? Or am I just a tedious killjoy who needs a more optimistic outlook?
But come on! Believe me, I genuinely don’t want to – and can’t even bring myself to – trash “A New World Rising”. This is a skillfully crafted and perfectly respectable release of classic Teutonic heavy metal – fast-paced, aggressive, melodic. Rage expertly mimics their own legacy, and if I were 12 years old right now, this record would probably feel like a genuine revelation and mind-blowing experience. As it stands, while listening I catch myself thinking that everything sounds solid, yet I detect no passion, no enthusiasm, no forward momentum. This feels like an album created out of obligation and recorded almost robotically – professionalism is evident throughout, but the mundane nature of it all is impossible to ignore. It’s less like creative inspiration flowing freely and more like a musical version of a 9-to-5 office job.
From a technical standpoint, there’s little to criticize. The sound is dense, the production polished to perfection, the drums seem buffed to a mirror shine, and the guitars slice through the air with precision. Tracks like “Innovation” and “Against The Machine” launch energetically like confident participants at a corporate meeting – except it quickly becomes clear that beneath this confidence lies no real excitement – the briefing’s over, everyone played their part, time to disperse.
From there, things unfold according to a familiar script. Moderate aggressive drive, a few lyrical moments, one or two attempts to grab the listener by the emotional throat – only it feels like I’ve heard this exact thing about a hundred and thirty-five times before. Even “Fire In Your Eyes,” meant to add a spark, mainly reminds me what that spark looked like on their previous album (and it was actually there!!). The closing “Straight To Hell ’25” is outright self-repetition – an unnecessary revision of their own archives that nobody asked for.
And as I mentioned, the irony is that this isn’t a bad album – far from it. There are no failures, blunders, or shameful compromises. Everything is solid, polished, occasionally even beautiful. But this very solidity becomes the album’s main problem – it leaves no room for organic vitality. It’s like a replica of an ancient museum piece, buffed to brilliance and perfected – something you want to admire from a distance, but not actually touch. Or when you do touch it, you discover plastic instead of noble marble. Rage remains masters of their craft, but unfortunately they’re no longer wizards of inspiration. And yes – I’m a grump and a bore.
Written by: Shadow Editor
Ratings: 7/10
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