CAGE - review added 22th June 2009
Album Review: Science Of Annihilation (2009)
For fans of: Power Metal... and NOISE!!!
The previous Cage album, Hell Destroyer, was a mixed bag for us here at Rock Realms. We loved the enthusiasm and performances, but the compositions were unnecessarily and outrageously over the top. The album reeked of 'heard it all before' and was easily summed up by the phrase 'close but no cigar'.
Follow up, the brilliantly titled Science Of Annihilation, is the San Diego band's 5th album. The present line-up features Sean Robert Livingston Peck (vocals), David 'Conan' Garcia (guitar), Anthony Wayne McGinnis (guitar), Mike 'Mikey G.' Giordano (bass) and Norm 'The Legend' Leggio (drums).
As far as power metal is concerned, this isn't the evil sort that hides in dark alleyways and molests traffic wardens. This is power metal that wears a flamboyant mirrored suit, 12 inch platforms, a neon-lit hat and carries a big placard with an arrow pointing back at itself. Science Of Annihilation, in absolute contrast to it's forebear, is magnificently and compellingly over the top. It's camp, pompous, crazy and compulsive. Sean Robert Livingston's voice is powered by concentrated madness. The musicianship is bombastic and inflated to biblical proportions.
'Planet Crusher' is as big as it's title. it skips along at velocities approaching the speed of light. The drumming is brutally rhythmic, but it's those vocals that take the biscuit. Sean's voice could provide all the power necessary for a trip to Mars. He has a surfeit of energy that leeches out as extraneous volume. I'm fairly certain this song made my ears bleed. 'Scarlet Witch' is a similar scream-along track, whilst 'Spirit Of Vengeance' goes for a more throbbing, heavyweight approach.
'Black River Falls' has some intriguing moments. There are some very silly helium-infused voices, but they actually add to the character of the track. The chorus is worth waiting for and has a memorable downtuned riff. 'Speed Kills' is a very, very quick track. Any faster and it would probably break. It sounds like the sort of track German bands were chucking out in the mid 80's.
'Stranger In Black' is an awesome track with an off kilter rhythm and leftfield vocalizing. It's heavy and fast, but the mild and deliberate abnormality in the sound gives it oodles of personality. The title track, the last full-length song on the album, is perhaps not up to the standards of the earlier entries.
Science Of Annihilation is an intense experience - its enthusiasm can make it a difficult listen. It's all so in your face you need to enjoy it in small doses, any more than that and you'll probably end up in hospital. This album is war.
Check out... The seriously cool artwork.
Track List:
01. The Power That Feeds
02. Planet Crusher
03. Scarlet Witch
04. Spirit Of Vengeance
05. Black River Falls
06. Operation Overlord
07. Power Of A God
08. Speed Kills
09. Stranger In Black
10. Die Glocke
11. Spectre Of War
12. Science Of Annihilation
13. At The Edge Of The Infinite
