Rage
End of All Days

review

The 90s are known in the metal genre landscape more for the birth of new musical trends that were forming during those years, like Nu (Korn, Limp Bizkit), Alternative (Nine Inch Nails), or Stoner (Kyuss). Although the heavy genre had already said a lot between 1982 and 1987, there were other bands trying to revive that genre which had gradually been overshadowed over time. Indeed, the attempts of Hair/Glam Metal bands, which gained fame in the first half of the 80s, to incorporate influences from the aforementioned genres into their new albums in hopes of regaining fame, mostly ended in failure. Skid Row, Warrant, Motley Crue, Poison, Tesla, to name a few.

Germany was the nation where the heavy genre was not yet completely overwhelmed by this wave of change, and where bands like Running Wild (who were at the peak of their popularity in that era), Grave Digger, Accept, and Axxis still stood strong. Among them, Rage might be the ones who stayed the most consistent with their music, both looking at the past and now. Emerging in 1985 under the name "Avenger", and later in 1986 as Rage, the band led by Peavy Wagner has always shown a consistency and perseverance in their career like few others. Anchored to a speed/heavy metal style in the beginning, characterized by Wagner's hoarse and powerful voice, in 1996 Rage collaborated with the Lingua Mortis Orchestra to create a project that allowed Rage to add symphonic and orchestral elements to the band, a project that would see its fullest expression in works like "Lingua Mortis" (1996) and "XIII" (1998). It's precisely between these two albums that the record I am going to review, "End Of All Days", finds its place, an album that stands out for recalling the early days, especially works like "Trapped! (1992) and "Perfect Man" (1988), but adding a fierceness and a more insistent search for melodies.

There are indeed two characteristics that make this album one of the most beautiful of the German band, and which will also be the most appreciated by fans of the more direct and sparse period of the band. Melody and power. Explosive tracks like the opener "Under Control", with a chorus repeated over and over again to get stuck in your head, and "Deep In The Blackest Hole" are proof that Rage, even though they embraced a significant musical change with the LMO, demonstrate that they haven't forgotten their roots. Another track to highlight is "Let The Night Begin", where the drums become the true protagonist of the piece. Connecting to melody instead, there are more paced songs characterized by stunning guitar solos such as in "Fortress" or the more digestible but still superb title track "End Of All Days". There is also space for a piece supported by a piano and accompanied by a violin, with the piano played by Peter Wagner, namely "Fading Hours", which I personally find excellent, but would have been more suited for orchestral albums like "Ghosts" or "XIII". More mysterious and dark however are "Desperation" and "Voices From The Vault", which in the listening seem to be connected by a single thread, and contribute to composing an excellent melody. No less effective is the cover, as simple as it is effective, depicting the group's mascot, the Soundchaser, a monster similar to an alien that would accompany Rage for almost their entire career and whose story would be explained in the album "Soundchaser" (2003). But that is another story.

In a decade where the Heavy genre was gradually disappearing and becoming less appreciated, Rage represented a real lifeline for many genre lovers. It should obviously be noted that "End Of All Days", according to Wagner himself, was not an album released just by chance. After the turning point album with the Lingua Mortis Orchestra, many fans did not appreciate the change of sound made by the German trio, and they released this album precisely to reconcile with their fans. The releases with the LMO still represent the compositional peak of the band for many supporters, which means that over time many albums once deemed horrors get reevaluated, becoming the crown jewels of a group.

Peace made? I’d say yes.