Why ? Because we are talking of Rage, the most underrated heavy metal band. After two decades, I am still amazed to see so few metal heads at Rage's concert, to see so many metal heads ignoring Rage's discography. I hope the metal community is not waiting for the "death" of that band to finally wake up. Rage rule, Rage innovate, Rage is pure rage. You still hesitate ? Well stay ignorant ! After the fantastic Unity, Rage take up the challenge to record a destroying weapon, the kind of bomb that detonates hardly in your brain. With topnotch melodies & chorus, Soundchaser is the long waited perfect merger of Smolski's guitar, Peavy's bass and Terrana's drums. Since one month, Soundchaser is running 24 hours a day :)

After the intro and the first lyrics of "the Creature", War Of Words blows up immediately my neurons as the hostility start : powerful riffs, fast rhythm, raging hook and this wonderful melodic chorus that destroy you from the inside long time after you hit the stop button. What a starter my friend, what a "head-banger party", what a sound production. The Great Old Ones follows and confirms the color : the song-writing is at the "rendezvous", better than ever since Trapped, not to mention XIII. And the best is on its way with the "first illumination" : Soundchaser ! Rage has never sound so united, so powerful, so heavy, so "thrashy", so goooooooood. Only one band deserve the comparison here : Nevermore. Of course, the German band officiate in the melodic heavy metal style compare to Nevermore, but the song-writing and the talent of Peavy & Victor Smolski blast hard. I don't know who got the idea to put these two musicians together but the alchemy is perfect. Malmsteen can't sleep anymore ... there is a better guitarist out there :)

I could continue days and nights like this, quoting all songs, put more salt here and there ... all my vocabulary won't be enough. I will just mention the unbelievable mi-tempo Flesh & Blood - what a chorus again - the future Rage's live hymn Human Metal and the last two songs Wake The Nightmares (Falling From Grace Pt.1) and Death Is On It's Way (Falling From Grace Pt.2). When the best bassist, the best guitarist and the best drummer work together, who can compete ? Take Metallica's Black Album, the best parts of Rage's XIII and Unity, add them to Nevermore's song-writing and you might begin to have a taste of Soundchaser. I shall finally mention Peavy's voice through out the album, better than ever.

I repeat it again, again and again : Rage is the most underrated band on this planet. How long ? How many rockets must Peavy and Co release before the whole metal community wakes up ? Shall a band be from US or UK to deserve as much as attention as Metallica, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. Fashion ? I guess it is easier to listen to St-Anger, everyone knows Metallica. But of course this has nothing to do with bragging :)

Wake up my friends, you are still trapped in the Matrix !!! Haven't you two cents of pride, aren't you able to take two cents of risk ? Are you afraid about what others say about Rage ? Fear ? Fear of what ? Accept the facts : RAGE RULES !!!

How could it be different with one of the best line-up out there :
- Peavy Wagner, bassist, the genius songwriter.
- Victor Smolski - as fast as fingers fly - the best guitarist I know. Go out and see him first ... write me messages after please!
- and the BEST drummer on Earth, Mr. Mike Terrana. A monster machine, a one man show when Rage is on stage.

One last word : this is a concept album about "the Creature", the beast we can see on Rage's covers since a long time now. Rage will be on tour with Helloween this autumn. Like it was the case with Primal Fear last year, I bet Rage will steal the show to the headliner :)

MY album of the year so far. I warned you ... the logo should have been enough.