Metal Review: Carved in Stone by Rage

Since I reviewed the newbies last week I figured I should show shine some attention on the veterans.  I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard of Rage previously, but damn if this isn’t an impressive album.  Originally from Germany circa 1984 Carved In Stone marks an impressive 18th album and, while their lineup has changed over the years, the current trio here works wells together.

Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals eschews the death metal growl and the screamo howl for a more middle ground similar to Ville Laihialla of Sentenced (a band that formed the same decade as Rage but has since parted ways).   Victor Smolski is equally comfortable switching between heavy riffs and subtler materials.  Smolski’s verstalitiy is particularly apparent on “Open My Grave,” a track that also manages to feature some damned impressive fills by newbie drummer Andre Hilgers, and the slower balladesque “Without You”

I doubt the guys from Rage will win any metalcore fans over.   This is an album firmly entrenched in the European school of metal; a style that I have yet to see an American band pull off completely.   While there are bands that certainly pay homage to this “traditional” metal (Trivium’s The Crusade) and others that have their own American version (Megadeth, United Abominations) it just isn’t a typcial style for the US metal scene.  If you haven’t heard of Rage and are fan of more metal bands like Iron Maiden and, to a lesser extent, Manowar give this album a try.  A stellar from an old school band.  Now a bonus, “Open My Grave” music video, God Bless YouTube