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By JEFF MAKI
Germany's Rage have been around for an astonishing 21 years, and Speak Of The Dead is the band's 17th release! They can best be described as progressive or power metal, but they also incorporate many new ideas and modern elements.
Speak Of The Dead begins with an eight-song suite which was recorded with the Minsk (White Russia) symphonic orchestra. Of the eight tracks, five are instrumental with the musicianship of the band and the orchestra being nothing short of amazing. Of the non-instrumental songs, "No Regrets" features a chugging electronic riff, leading us into an epic chorus backed by the orchestra. The suite, though maybe a bit too long, and ends with the ballad "Beauty", which I could've done without. Several bands have collaborated with orchestras for studio and live albums before. The idea isn't entirely original, but it works well.
On the eight remaining songs, Rage shows a talent for combining heaviness, progressive musicianship and soaring melodic choruses. "No Fear" does all of this (and adds some distorted vocals) and is the perfect opener of the second half. "Soul Survivor" is power metal at its best and almost comes across as a feel-good metal song. "Full Moon" is flat-out awesome, with galloping percussion in the vein of '80s metal and a sing-along chorus. The final tracks mostly stay true to the same formula, displaying just why Rage have managed to stay around for so long. Nothing comes out and hits you dead on, but the material is solid enough to keep your attention.
Speak Of The Dead will most likely not garner many new fans for Rage but will satisfy their existing fanbase. The sprawling suite to begin the album is a welcome surprise, and is well executed. The second half of the album is solid but not fantastic.
I would recommend this to fans of Edguy, Blind Guardian and traditional/power metal fans alike.
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