2016 saw Peter return with a new band and a new approach. Joined now by Marcos Rodriguez (guitar, vocals) and Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos (drums, vocals) here was a band that had gone back to their roots and were determined to put their heads down and lose the dandruff. In the opening title track, Peter repeatedly says “It is my way or the highway”, leaving no-one in doubt as to whose band this is. Gone also were the soundchaser images that had graced so many of their covers, but instead we were presented with a skull with maggots. Here was band with their 22nd studio album proving that they were back with a bang, and a little thing like having to start the band from scratch wasn’t going to prevent Peter Peavey from going about his business, and he was going to double down on heaviness and attack and show that Rage were here to stay.
It is still polished metal, with strong melody lines over the top, but it is definitely quite a bit heavier and is more bass-led than previously with a very string bottom end to the sound. Marcos is a fine guitarist, but he has obviously been chosen to differentiate between the person who had held that role foe the previous fifteen years. The result is one of the punchiest Rage albums I have had the pleasure to listen to. Yet again they have cemented my opinion that they are the top metal act coming out of Germany.
