Strings to a Web

Strings to a Web combines hard riffs, speed and a large structure divided into several movements. The bite of short songs coexists with the drama built up in longer pieces, and a will to push past the bounds of power metal is felt throughout — an ambitious record pursuing both aggression and construction. Cuts with linear force such as “The Edge of Darkness” and “Hunter & Prey” sit beside suite-like sections, including the title track “Strings to a Web,” where themes develop step by step, and through songs like “Saviour of the Dead” and “Through Ages” the contrast between compact aggression and grand flow gives the album its interest. Victor Smolski’s guitar is technical yet always serves the drama of the whole song. Holding speed, weight and structural craft in one record, it clearly shows the expressive range of Smolski-era RAGE, keeping its tension and staying engaging to the very end.