Review: Cage

cage
Cage
“Darker Than Black”
(Fugitive Records)

Finally!  A fucking American metal group with the old school heavy metal balls to give the Europeans a run for their money.  The first thing you’ll notice about the album are the strong, forceful vocals that will remind you distinctly of Rob Halford (take note, however, as this guy draws influence from more than one well, even King Diamond, for example, comes to mind).

Musically, the band has a furious classic power metal sound.  When I use the label “power metal” I’m not referring to those screeching Euro-metal bands that bog their songs down with endless keyboard passages; what I’m referring to is aggressive, sweaty, leather wearing metallers who’d be more likely to cleave the keyboard in twain than tickle its little ivories.  We’re talking Power Metal not Coward metal, not flower metal, not golden shower metal, but Power metal (with a capital Pee! – but still not golden shower metal).   It’s for guys who want heavy metal, but don’t want growling bears, a chorus of vomiting hogs or any of the sickly belching of black and death metal.

Cage will most likely be 2003’s high water mark in this genre of music and this is all coming from a guy who as a general rule doesn’t listen to this kind of shit.  Got that?