One of the pillars of German Power Metal strikes again with an intense and unforgettable musical experience in the form of a double album  presenting their broad artistic range, from hard, fast and thrashy to anthemic, symphonic and lavish.

In addition to a new band biography to celebrate their 40^th anniversary, to be released in October, the year of 2024 sees German Power Metal legends Rage unleash a majestic 94-minute double-album titled Afterlifelines, the 26^th opus in their impressive career consisting of regular recordings by the trio on the first album, ‘Afterlife’, while a classical orchestra performs the second album, ‘Lifelines’. Produced by Rage at their own Lucky Bob Studio, mixed and mastered by Manuel Cohnen, and displaying a striking artwork by Karim König, the new album by the iconic Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals and bass, Jean Bormann on the guitars, and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos on drums is an intense and unforgettable musical experience blending Heavy, Speed and Power Metal with orchestral elements, presenting Rage’s broad artistic range, from hard, fast and thrashy to anthemic, symphonic and lavish.

A melancholic, cinematic intro titled In The Beginning kicks off the first album ‘Afterlife’, setting the stage for the trio to crush our souls with the metalized End Of Illusions, with Jean shredding his axe in great fashion while Lucky hammers his drums nonstop, offering Peavy exactly what he needs to roar like a beast; followed by the first single of the album, Under A Black Crown, which sounds like classic Rage (and sounded even more incendiary when they played it live at Lee’s Palace here in Toronto on March 4, by the way), with their melodic riffs and rumbling bass matching perfectly with Peavy’s boisterous vocal lines. Sean doesn’t stop slashing his strings in the title-track Afterlife, another headbanging tune by Rage that will inspire all fans to raise their fists together with the band, whereas Dead Man’s Eyes couldn’t have sounded more Rage than it already does, with Peavy sounding awesome with his potent voice as usual while Lucky keeps blasting his drums in the name of Power and Thrash Metal; and they keep delivering sheer heaviness and melody in Mortal, with the song’s pounding drums and dark riffage being perfect for some evil headbanging.

Toxic Waves is a more generic song that albeit sounding well crafted and harmonious, doesn’t add much power to the rest of the album; then get ready for a hurricane of Teutonic Power Metal titled Waterwar, offering classic Rage with hints of Thrash and Speed Metal for our total delight, spearheaded by the visceral roars by the one and only Peavy. It’s pedal to the metal with another fast-tempo tune titled Justice Will Be Mine, where the trio keeps the speed and energy levels truly high in a breathtaking ode to Power Metal; and those three fantastic musicians don’t show any mercy for our necks in the also rockin’ feast titled Shadow World, where Sean steals the spotlight with his sick riffs and solos. Finally, following a similar pattern as the previous song, Life Among The Ruins is a straightforward Rage extravaganza where Lucky once again sounds thunderous on drums, as well as Peavy armed with his metallic bass, putting a beautiful ending to the first album.

It’s time to switch gears to ‘Lifelines’, starting with the symphonic yet extremely heavy Cold Desire, reminding me of some of Rage’s old songs where they played together with the Lingua Mortis orchestra, followed by Root Of Our Evil, another striking fusion of the band’s raw, unfiltered Heavy Metal with background orchestrations where Peavy is on fire with both his raspy vocals and rumbling bass, resulting in a true metal hymn. In Curse The Night the orchestrations sound even more imposing, adding an extra touch of epicness to Rage’s sonority, whereas more of the trio’s galloping sounds is offered to our avid ears in One World, albeit not as exciting and feeling bland at times. They continue to blend the savagery of old school Power Metal with the melody of Heavy Metal in It’s All Too Much, a guitar-infused feast led obviously by Jean.

Dying To Live offers a smoother side of Rage, with Peavy hypnotizing us all with his passionate vocals supported by the whimsical, enfolding sounds crafted by Jean and Lucky; and an epic start gradually evolves into a fusion of orchestral music and Rage’s trademark Power Metal sounds in The Flood, perfect for singing along with Peavy, who delivers deep, intense vocals during the entire song. Be prepared to be dragged into Rage’s lair for all eternity to the sound of the nine-minute aria Lifelines, a multi-layered, bold creation by Peavy and the boys overflowing deep emotions amidst a powerful sound full of classic riffs, pounding drums and killer vocal lines. Moreover, this is another Lingua Mortis-like composition where metal meets classic in a stunning way, while the cinematic Interlude offers longtime fans of the band some “Easter eggs” from their old orchestral creations such as “From the Cradle to the Grave”, preparing us all for one last musical voyage titled In The End, an introspective, climatic song that closes the album on a high note with Jean kicking ass with his riffs and solos, while Peavy once again declaims the song’s lyrics with endless passion.

RAGE Afterlifelines Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset

Two weeks after the arrival of the album, Rage will embark on a major European tour starting April 13, with shows and festival appearances in Japan and European countries and regions such as Germany, Austria, Greece, Poland, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Spain and Scandinavia, meaning 2024 is set to be a real Rage year. Hence, don’t forget to follow one of the pillars of German Heavy and Power Metal on Facebook and on Instagram to keep track of all of their upcoming shows, stream all of their amazing albums on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of Afterlifelines by clicking HERE, including the limited edition deluxe boxset containing tons of amazing items such as a nine-track bonus CD titled “Live At Summer Breeze 2023”. There’s no better way to celebrate 40 incredible years on the road than with over 90 minutes of kick-ass Heavy Metal like what Rage have to offer us all in Afterlifelines, and if it’s not too much to ask, I really wish the band keeps embellishing the airwaves with their powerful music for at least another 40 years.

Best moments of the album: From ‘Afterlife’, the songs End Of Illusions, Under A Black Crown and Waterwar, while from ‘Lifelines’, the songs Cold Desire, Root Of Our Evil and Lifelines.

Worst moments of the album: Both albums are amazing, but maybe the songs Toxic Waves and One World sound and feel a little tiresome compared to all others.

Released in 2024 Steamhammer/SPV

Track listing
CD 1 Afterlife
1. In The Beginning 1:31
2. End Of Illusions 3:48
3. Under A Black Crown 4:00
4. Afterlife 3:45
5. Dead Man’s Eyes 3:24
6. Mortal 4:04
7. Toxic Waves 3:36
8. Waterwar 3:42
9. Justice Will Be Mine 4:35
10. Shadow World 3:22
11. Life Among The Ruins 4:06

CD 2 Lifelines
1. Cold Desire 3:59
2. Root Of Our Evil 4:02
3. Curse The Night 3:34
4. One World 4:24
5. It’s All Too Much 5:11
6. Dying To Live 4:51
7. The Flood 3:56
8. Lifelines 9:54
9. Interlude 2:43
10. In The End 3:23

CD 3 “Live At Summer Breeze 2023” Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset Exclusive
1. Resurrection Day
2. Solitary Man
3. End Of All Days
4. Great Old Ones
5. Straight To Hell
6. Nevermore
7. Refuge
8. Higher Than The Sky
9. Don’t Fear The Winter

Band members
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Jean Bormann – guitars
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos – drums

Guest musician
Marco Grasshoff – string quartet arrangements, orchestrations, strings, wind instruments, piano