21

21 combines cutting guitars, tight rhythm and shifting development into aggressive yet intelligent power metal. Even in the fast songs, the construction of the riffs and the flow of the vocal melodies are finely designed, giving a density that never rests on momentum alone. With heavy drive and a progressive sense crossing throughout, the album avoids monotony, and the interest of its structure becomes clearer with each listen. Peavy Wagner’s voice keeps the band’s distinctive melancholy within the aggression, refusing to leave the songs as by-the-book power metal. The strength of the record is that its frequent technique is always tied to the drive and drama of the songs. Binding weight, speed and structural craft at a high level, it lets you enjoy musicianship and compositional complexity at once — a dense record showing RAGE still fully engaged and challenging even deep into a long career.