• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Rage has been around since the mid-80s and I dutifully played cuts from Perfect Man and Secrets in a Weird World on my college radio show but, for the life of me, I could not get into their music. Their latest, Resurrection Day, is the twenty-fourth full-length album released under the Rage name and I’ll start by saying I have nothing but respect for that kind of output. Their brand of crunchy, Euro-flavored heavy metal hasn’t changed much, so you can count on sharp guitars, more than a little speed and Peavy Wagner’s gravelly vocals. I will say there are some first-class riffs, especially on "Man in Chains," far and away my favorite song on Resurrection Day, which also has a runaway pace and hooky chorus. After that, though, there isn’t much that sticks out to my ears, unless it is to sound like Running Wild on tracks like "Resurrection Day," with its drinking song bounce and high seas vibe. If you are already a big Rage fan, my guess is it will do just fine and I don’t dislike Resurrection Day, but as with all Rage album I’ve ever heard, to my ears it sounds bland and uninteresting.