Rage – 21

Rage return in 2012 with their new album, number 21 in a row and how else would they call this album? “21” of course. It’s something like their lucky one. Once more the production is done by Charlie Bauerfeind and the album is released by Nuclear Blast Records. It’s an album with a lot of energy and it seems close to the sound of “Carved in Stone“ of 2008, the album tries to return to traditional sounds with full of progressive elements. The main composer is Victor Smolski, who in fact for the first time since his departure in the band, writes all compositions. For Victor Smolski the things are known, he’s a great guitarist who gives his ideas to the band. Heavy – extreme riffs and some impressive solos for the eleven songs of the album.

The band seems to be in a good shape and this is understandable from the first song “House Wins“, while I personally could pick out some great songs from this album like “Feel My Pain“ and “Serial Killer“, which I think it represents absolutely Smolski’s skills and I am sure that you will understand it easily,because it’s the best composition of the album with some other tracks. The intensity and the activity of the band continue up to the last track of the album. A little disappointing is the fact that Peavey is trying to diversify with something like brutal grunts in tracks like “Death Romantic” and “Psycho Terror“, but he seems to be lacking something. Unfortunately the apparent fall of Peavy coincides with the lack of inspiration of the main composer of the band.

The only factor that ultimately strengthens the entire “21” passes through the fingers and the mind of Smolski who can take a mediocre idea and turn it into an interesting one, with executive skills, all by himself. For sure there will be good and bad reviews for this album, the old fans of the band wait something worthy of the name of the band and some new fans wait something like their previous releases. What I can say from my position is that it’s a remarkable album with some very good moments but not what I personally wanted to listen from this band. So listen to it and judge by yourselves what it’s about.