Cage - Supremacy of Steel

I was expecting Cage’s new album ‘cause I wasn’t really satisfied with the last albums of the band… although “Darker Than Black” was a great album and was praised by the press and the fans of heavy metal music back in 2003… the next releases of the band couldn’t maintain the same high standards. I was quite hopeful that this was going to be a great album… but unfortunately, I was rather disappointed.

 

The guitarist Steve Brogden (guitarist/vocalist for the power/thrash metal band Howler) and the bassist Pete Stone (ex- Brick Bath) are the new members of the band… which is still delivering good heavy/power metal music influenced by Judas Priest (“Painkiller” era and later), Iced Earth (they are also influenced by Judas Preist) and King Diamond/Mercyful Fate (and these bands also)… but when the time comes when you cannot escape your influences and wanna sound and be like them… then all the fun stops… and the misapprehensions begin.

 

There’s nothing wrong with the album… the guys play truly good, the performances are great and although the production lacks slightly could have been heavier and the bass is a little higher (than it should be) on the mix while the guitars a little lower… it is generally good. The album lacks a lot on the musical personality of the members and on the songwriting part. The songs are all alike and following a Priest-like riff metal path with high pitched vocals… the formula may not have changed over the years… but inspiration and personality is what makes a song better than the other but unfortunately, this is something that’s desperately missing from this album. Alternatively, the lyrics are kind of cheesy for 2011… they may have been ok for the 80s. The album cover, on the other hand, is very good and it was designed by Marc Sasso (Dio, Halford, Marvel Comics). Copying and stealing your favorite band is different than being influenced by it… in any part… Sean Peck is tryin’, not only to sound, but also look like Rob Halford… that’s sort of twisted… do ya think? Where’s the music personality that’s makes a band different than the other, when you are trying to be and sound like your idols? That’s what big bands like Judas Priest, Megadeth, Helloween etc tried to do at their beginning? Just think of it…

 

According to my opinion, the best songs of the album are: “The Monitor”, “Hell Destroyer vs Metal Devil” and (the European bonus) “Skinned Alive”. I cannot understand those people who seem to be so thrilled when listening to this album… and I can only feel them, only if they started listening to heavy metal music 5 or 10 years ago… thus, their reactions are reasonable. This album is many steps below “Darker Than Black”… which seems to be an album that the band cannot overcome in any case. I just hope they put more personality on their music and release an album if not better, at least equal to “Darker Than Black” in the years to come.