Band:	Rage
Album:	Strings To A Web
Style:	Heavy metal
Release date:	February 05, 2010
A review by:	Baz Anderson

Disc I [Strings To A Web]
01. The Edge Of Darkness
02. Hunter And Prey
03. Into The Light
04. The Beggar's Last Dime
05. Empty Hollow
06. Strings To A Web
07. Fatal Grace
08. Connected
09. Empty Hollow (reprise)
10. Saviour Of The Dead
11. Hellgirl
12. Purified
13. Through Ages
14. Tomorrow Never Comes

Disc II [Bonus DVD: Live at Wacken 2009]
01. Carved In Stone
02. Higher Than The Sky
03. Set This World On Fire [feat. Hansi Kürsch]
04. All I Want [feat. Hansi Kürsch]
05. Invisible Horizons [feat. Hansi Kürsch]
06. Lord Of The Flies [feat. Jen Majura]
07. From The Cradle To The Grave [feat. Jen Majura]
08. Prayers Of Steel [feat. Schmier]
09. Suicide [feat. Schmier]
10. Down [feat. Schmier]
11. Soundchaser
12. Set This World On Fire [Live at Masters of Rock 2009]
13. All I Want [Live at Masters of Rock 2009]
14. Carved In Stone [Live in Sofia 2009]
15. Never Give Up [Rage Race Special]

Heavy metal
Nuclear Blast
Germany
Length: 55:00


Rage are back with their fruitiest album since Soundchaser. Strings To A Web is a much more relaxed, fun and overall enjoyable album than the band's previous album Carved In Stone, which was much more to-the-point and no nonsense.

The band have found their flair once more and are back to terrorize your ears with some sugary, manly, heavy metal. In truth Strings To A Web is a melodic metal album that visits traditional heavy metal, power metal and also touches on the progressive for a few moments.

All the Rage hallmarks are present. The three-piece have crafted another quality album with its catchy choruses such as the great "Into The Light" and "Hellgirl", lots of heavier moments, and the pleasant surprise of the slightly progressive interlude in the middle of the "Empty Hollow" song. These three majestic short songs in here show a different side to Rage they really should show off more often.

This is Rage in great form, and this is a memorable album, but apart from being an above average Rage album, no barriers are broken down here. Those familiar with Rage will probably have an idea of just how Strings To A Web sounds. Although the music is good, this band just seem to be one of those that never seem to evolve too far away from their core sound.

Either way, the band appears to be in a much lighter mood than the last album, and this makes for enjoyable listening. These Germans have constructed an album to be proud of, and an album that will stick out as one of the best and most accessible of all the staggering twenty the band now have to their name. A great album worth your time.