Cage - Hell Destroyer
Line-up:
Sean Peck (Vocals)
Dave Garcia (Lead Guitars)
Anthony Wayne McGinnis (Lead Guitars)
Mike Giordano (Bass Guitars)
Mike Nielsen (Drums)


Hell Yeah!
It is a gratifying feeling to discover music such as this in this day and age. Cage play Heavy Metal with so much spirit it makes me think of the glory days of Judas Priest, Savatage and Iron Maiden. No small comparison indeed.
The band is hungry and they do the absolute best with the material they have. Hell Destroyer is their fourth album and my first encounter.

Creating a convincing concept album is no easy task, but Cage completes it with defiance and total conviction. The music and lyrics conjure vivid images and even without lyrics or any kind of promo sheet I found it easy to get caught up in the apocalyptic story. The songs manage to move the story along smoothly while each still has enough strength to stand on its own. As much as I feel the urge to put several songs on repeat (Bohemian Grove comes to mind) as I listen to the album, I also find myself impatiently craving the next song and story twist so it's a constant battle of conflicting interests.

Feeding on a dynamic mix of heaviness, speed, aggressive guitar riffs, intense dual leads and the most convincing vocal performance I have heard in a long time Hell Destroyer becomes addictive to the degree that through a normal working day cool parts are constantly popping into my mind, making me hurry home to put on the album as the first thing. This album really should come with the warning label "You will become addicted" on the cover.

The best thing about Hell Destroyer is the delivery, which is over-the-top and completely convincing. Even the narrators do not suck in the short interludes which function as the only breathers on the album. With the music being delivered in such a forceful and convincing way any unoriginal elements, derived riffs and other such nitpicking is quickly forgiven. Cage wear their inspirations proudly on their sleeve and deliver their metal in a way that is like a breath of fresh air. This includes a great tribute to King Diamond as a special bonus.

Elements of Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer), Rob Halford (Judas Priest) and even Eric Adams (Manowar) are embodied in Sean Peck's voice and his spirited delivery. His voice has impressed me like no other, since he sings with everything he's got and keeps a certain emotional element intact, in that way reminding me of Jon Oliva back on Gutter Ballet and Streets. Sean doesn't shriek, he sings with a stirring emotional edge.

Another highlight of the band is the guitar work. Without hesitation the first comparison that springs to mind is Glenn Tipton and KK Downing's work on Judas Priest's Painkiller album. Anthony and Dave have a crunching sound and play with an aggressive vigor that enthralls and makes the guitar playing a major and entertaining focuspoint of the album. Superb.
Drums and bass are solid and tight.

Musically, Hell Destroyer opens the gates with a fiery scream and a furious riff. From here on there is no way back.
Scattered all over the album are countless reminders of why I love this genre of music so much. The main riff of I am the King, The incredibly captivating fist-in-the-air chorus of Fire and Metal, the varied Born in Blood which goes from wild aggression to atmospheric darkness and back again, Christhammer's superb bridge section and how the song showcases the way the music and vocals work together to underline and strengthen the lyrics just to name a few. Or what about the radical shift in tone as the Maiden'ish guitar solo appears in Rise of the beast, a song which, until that moment, has been pervaded by an intense, almost manic despair.

An open invitation to bang your head greets you from pretty much every song. I dare you to sit through Abomination without even a slight bobbing of head.

A few moments on the album references earlier works by other bands. I know I've heard that guitar melody at 3:03 in I am the King before, I simply can't place it. If you have any idea then please let me know since it has been driving me insane recently.
Abomination has a little reference to Slayer's Dead Skin mask in its opening notes and there are several others waiting to be discovered.

As the album nears its half point it also begins rising towards a pinnacle with the incredible trilogy of Rise of the beast, Bohemian Grove and From Death to Legend. All three are superior Metal hymns.
Realizing the story perfectly and painting a vivid image in the mind Bohemian Grove is my absolute favorite moment of the album. The way Sean sings those opening lines will no doubt be among my favorite passages of 2007. Intensity reigns supreme in this song as a dark depravity is fully realized and added a manic sense of urgency by the dual guitar attack. When the ending arrives and it manages to kick it up one final notch it is hard not to get a wide smile across the face, even while a clear sense of dread lingers in the air. This song is pure chilling head-banging perfection.

The guitar melodies have a superb way of bringing out the atmosphere of the songs. Born in Blood around 3:08 and Metal Devil at 3:10 are just two examples.
One particular passage also needs to be played backwards, just be sure the listening zone is grandma-free when you do, since a heart attack would be probable.

I could go on and on about all the things that make this album fantastic but I will leave the rest for your own discovery.

Hell Destroyer feels like an album that has been lovingly crafted and perfected down to the very last note. Everything fits together and feels right. Several songs still give me the same adrenaline rush as when I listened to them for the first time, several months ago and I don't see myself getting tired of the album any time soon.
If you like Heavy Metal, then you want to support Cage and buy Hell Destroyer. It is pure metallic bliss / hell.

To sum up: Superb metal. A must buy!

Written by Steen
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Show all reviews by Steen

Ratings

Steen: 8.5/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


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RevelationZ Comments


Comment by Jarkko Kyntäjä (Anonymous) - Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Best Album Year 2007. I think nothing will be better than this.

Steen´s comments are just on the spot, only, I´ll give this 10. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you ever liked Judas Priest´s Painkiller, you will love this, because this is even better. Sounds impossible, but it´s true.

I AM THE KING. Well, at least CAGE is. World has been saved, long live Cage.




Comment by ThraX (Member) - Thursday, June 7, 2007
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Comments: 135
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Sean Peck's vocals are simply amazing , He reminds me of Tim Owens(x-Judas Priest/Beyond Fear/Iced Earth) crossed with Matthew Barlow (x-Iced Earth)....The music is reminicent to Manowar......A very good album and 8/10 for me!

Posted by ThraX
Thursday, June 7, 2007

Comment by Kevin Kohlhase (Anonymous) - Saturday, June 9, 2007
The review is correct in the aspect that it delivers hard cranking metal. But IMO this continues where Iced Earth left off with Matt Barlow. Don't get me wrong ripper Era Iced Earth I love but the 2 are very different in vocal range. Cage delivers one of the best metal cds of 2000's.
My top cd of 2007 so far, superb cd!


Comment by metalman (Anonymous) - Sunday, June 10, 2007
a great cd ..however, it lacks something ??


Comment by VonSeux (Anonymous) - Wednesday, June 13, 2007
too much cliché... Primal Fear does better than this.

but still a kick ass and very solid release, love the Harry Conklin feel to it




Comment by Mike B (Anonymous) - Monday, July 9, 2007
A very good release! The 'story' aspect this album really picks up with "Bohemian Grove". I was afraid that Cage were going to get stale with their whole hell/satan/dark magic thing but they manage to keep it interesting.

'Beyond the Apocalypse' and 'Metal Devil' have some of the nastiest riffs and badass vocals I've heard in a long time.

Get this album, you won't be disappointed.


Comment by matia (Anonymous) - Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Well Steen said it all, i mean RIGHT on the spot as Jarkko noticed. I had about 15 years to hear something so intense, powerful and epic as this release. Also you just can't compare them to Primal Fear cause Primal Fear play classic period Priest metal, these guys play Painkiller Priest Thrashy Metal with Iced Earth on the front with Jag Panzer watching!! .











Review by Steen

Released by
MTM - 2007

Tracklisting
01. Ascension
02. Hell Destroyer
03. I am the King
04. The Circle of Light
05. Christhammer
06. Born in Blood
07. Abomination
08. Inauguration
09. Rise of the Beast
10. Cremation of Care
11. Bohemian Grove
12. Final Proclamation
13. From Death to Legend
14. Legions of Demons
15. Betrayal
16. Fall of the Angels
17. Fire and Metal
18. Beyond the Apocalypse
19. The Lords of Chaos
20. Metal Devil
21. King Diamond (Bonus track)


Supplied by Zink


Style
Heavy Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Cage - Official Website

Other articles
Darker Than Black - (Hashman)

Band Information - (Steen)

Science of Annihilation - (Steen)

Interview with Sean Peck - (Steen)



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Ratings
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9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

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