Lanfear - Another Golden Rage
Massacre Records
Progressive Power Metal
11 songs (50'24)
Release year: 2005
Lanfear, Massacre Records
Reviewed by Ben

The term “Progressive Power Metal” has been thrown around so many times to describe bands in the last few years that it has lost its meaning. I almost feel dirty labeling Lanfear into this genre but for once this label actually means something. Another Golden Rage is one of the most intricate and technical Power Metal albums that has come my way in a long time, actually, the only album that I have been digesting more than this is last years masterpiece from Pyramaze. There have been more than a few people that pair these two acts together stylistically and while there are certain similarities (both bands are complex and heavy machinations of pure metal) they also differ drastically. Lanfear leans much more towards the Progressive scope of things with their battery of riffs and constant time changes. This is not an album that you will grasp within one, two, and maybe even three listens, Another Golden Rage is a multi headed beast that requires all of the listeners attention to realize the greatness that is going on but once it clicks, it becomes one of the most rewarding listening experiences so far this year.

While The Art Effect is a great album, I would have quoted it somewhere in the mid eighties because there were some passages that still seemed confusing and out of place. A major improvement that I happily accepted with this new long player was that the keyboard bombardment has been lowered dramatically. Don’t get me wrong, the keys still play a very prominent role in the magic that is Another Golden Rage, however they are more tastefully placed and executed. Another improvement over the last release is that Markus Ullrich has written a multitude of guitar riffs that are all simply amazing. Powerful, raging, and with the ability to demoralize the majority of other Power Metal six stringers, are all adjectives that I would use to describe his playing on this cd.

If you want specific examples of ass killers take a look at The Unrestrained. Starting off with a subtle keyboard electronica intro it makes way for a hellacious beating of the skins and a gorgeous chord progression with a sexy lick played in the background. When Tobias comes in to give his vocal performance the song lifts up even higher. A great and memorable chorus is the selling point of this particular piece as well as a magnificent solo section. The duo of Eclipse and Shades of Black however are this albums personal highlight. Eclipse serves its purpose as a sweeping orchestral instrumental that sets the tone for a grandiose storming number, but is starkly contrasted by Shades of Black’s unadulterated aggressiveness. With blackened vocals and pockets of blast beats, this song is the most unique track out of an album’s worth of them. If there is one thing that I can find to complain about Another Golden Rage it would have to be the ballad Eternally. I’m sorry, but I cannot tolerate saxophone solos. Completely out of place and awkward and bumbling, this particular number sticks out like a sore thumb and left me sitting here baffled as to why this was even on the album.

Despite my feelings toward one song out of eleven and with the rest being killers, Another Golden Rage scores extremely high marks in my book. Lanfear have constructed an immensely enjoyable album with this, their fourth release and for those that take the time to appreciate them, you are in for one hell of a musical experience.

Killing Songs :
Another Golden Rage, The Unrestrained, Shades of Black, The Voice Within
Ben quoted 89 / 100
Other albums by Lanfear that we have reviewed:
Lanfear - This Harmonic Consonance reviewed by Cory and quoted 77 / 100
Lanfear - The Art Effect reviewed by Danny and quoted 95 / 100
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