One thought on “Rage: End Of All Days-1996.”

1. Diamhea, October 1st, 2014
   Written based on this version: 2006.
   With a catalogue as prolific and consistent as Rage, some worthy efforts will invariably get swept under the rug and forgotten about as the years (and the band) forge onward. Concerning these Germans, this criterion manifests itself primarily around some of their early to mid ’90s output. In some cases, the lack of attention is somewhat warranted (Reflections of a Shadow) and in others, a case regarding the opposite can clearly be mounted (Trapped!). Taking all of this into account, it would be fair to group End of All Days with the latter, as it admirably attempts to follow up one of the band’s most convincing records in Black in Mind. While it should come as no surprise that it falls somewhat short of matching the dark theurgy present on its direct predecessor, keen ears can discern the early throes of the stringent evolution the band was about to enter proper soon afterward.

   Despite a portentous album title and foreboding cover art courtesy of the legendary Andreas Marschall, End of All Days isn’t quite the dissonant ode to the depraved like some may expect. Then again nor is it an exercise in some of the melodic abandon solidified by the band in the early ’90s. In essence, this album draws a small accretion of influence from all of Rage’s hallmarks up to this point, omitting only the orchestral bombast delivered earlier in the year with the Lingua Mortis collaboration. Through this we have an effort lacking some of the peaks and valleys evident on earlier material, yet enjoying a consistent, dynamic flow. By Rage standards, this is a fairly compact effort, comprising fourteen songs averaging around four-and-a-half minutes a piece. This means we don’t have any ambitious concept pieces like “In a Nameless Time,” instead enjoying a number of melodic cookers alongside some of the heaviest material the band has written.

   And it works quite well most of the time, opening with the tense, core-rumbling “Under Control.” Evident right away is a marginal shift in Wagner’s vocal delivery, which is more streamlined and melodic than before. There are some serious issues sonically with the vocals (and the production on the whole – more on that later), but the chorus is decently sticky and the brothers Efthimiadis bring the house down in an efficient manner. I would not be averse to calling End of All Days one of Rage’s more traditional records, espousing a more elementary heavy metal aesthetic as opposed to the more speed metal-laced temperament obvious when Schmidt was still around. In general this results in a prevalence for more massive, lugubrious riffs similar to “The Crawling Chaos.” In fact “Voice from the Vault” sounds virtually identical at times, if not for the more ambitious song structure. “Talking to the Dead” takes the cake here though, melding the crunchy verses with one of Wagner’s more memorable vocal outings present. The best isolated riff occurs just shy of the three-minute mark on “Visions,” earning it a place among the album’s best.

   That’s not to say there aren’t comparisons that can be drawn to Black in Mind, as Spiros and Sven continue to underpin the Rage formula with great, moody acoustic passages. For me, this is one of the more searing attributes of this lineup, and the opening of “Desperation” makes a strong case for me. The quick and efficient character doesn’t work for the band all of the time (“Face Behind the Mask” is fast and boring), so it is refreshing to slow the proceedings down within reason. The most obvious exception to all of this is the closer “Fading Hours,” which opens with some great orchestrations and evolves into one of the better half-ballads the band has ever done. It hints at some of what was to come later on with Ghosts, and as such, its position as the final number is quite telling.

   Despite all of my gushing up to this point, I really have to deride the production values, which come nowhere close to the polished sleekness that came both before and after it. This doesn’t really do the band many favors, as the guitars tend to get swallowed up by the vocals and drums. There are some serious balance issues going on as well, even on the 2006 remaster (which I am appraising here). Wagner’s low frequencies are rarely a high priority, but he is working with a decent, clangy timbre this time around. Still, save for the bass, End of All Days is one of the weaker Rage albums sonically. It may seem like I am nitpicking, but to be candid, there isn’t a whole lot else to complain about here. As I have stated before, while this lineup has been defined by some of the unusual experimentation delivered later on, what we have here is a second straight furious heavy metal cruncher of a Rage effort that stacks up nicely to the rest of the band’s discography. End of All Days by no means deserves the back-burner status it has been anointed with over the years, and is one to seek out for those who prefer Rage’s more caustic side.

   LikeLike

   Reply