Rage - Gib Dich Nie Auf
Nuclear Blast
Heavy / Power Metal
6 songs (25'03)
Release year: 2009
Rage, Nuclear Blast
Reviewed by Chris

Was passiert ? Dieses album ist auf Deutsch ! And that is almost the full extend of my german knowledge (and I had to check this in google translate to make sure I didn't make any mistake, but there was a typo on my part ;) )... I used to be rather good in this language when I was 16, but somehow over the years the information faded away, which I somehow regret (just like I regret ditching Greek school for soccer when I was a kid, especially that I pretty much sucked at soccer, at least as a Goalkeeper :) ).

Anyway out with the nostalgia, and in with the review. This new EP from Rage has 2 songs in German, the first two tracks, and they're both excellent tracks, especially the second one VollMond, which is easy to translate to Full Moon (that one you could have guessed too I'm sure :) ). But the title track Gib Dich Nie Auf (Never Give Up) is a good song as well. There's nothing new here music-wise, its still the usual Rage blend of Heavy / Power Metal with cubic riffs, square verses versus ultra melodic choruses that makes you want to head bang until your neck gives up. The only new element in this case is that Peavy sings in his mother tongue. This EP contains 6 songs total, and the third song, Never Give Up, is simply the first track in English, but clocking 1 more minute than its German counterpart. The fourth track, Terrified, is very heavy, the pounding of the drums and square riffs in the verse is really heavy even thrashy (for my taste, most of you know where I stand on that matter :) ). So while I'm sure people liking this style will enjoy the song, definitely not my favorite song but still a good song overall (I like the chorus as well as the solo mostly). The fifth track is an orchestral version of The Lord Of The Flies from the last album. My only complain is that the mixing and mastering of this track is very different of the rest and somehow sounds like an intruder sound-wise, and sub-par production compared with the usual crisp and clear Rage sound, one thing is obvious, it wasn't mixed at the same place as the other songs. Still, if you liked the original song on the album and wanted a version a la Lingua Mortis, then you'll be very happy with it, no doubts there. The last track, Home, is a very mellow ballad, there's only a bit of strings arrangements in the back, no guitar until the song reached 2 minutes, and then an acoustic guitar makes an appearance, and is quite emotional too (no singing during most of the guitar part). Its not a song you'll put over and over that's for sure, and its positioned perfectly at the last track so it can be skipped by stopping the CD, as I don't think I would listen to it every time I listen to this EP, its definitely too much on the mellow side for my taste.

If you're a fan of the band then this EP is a no brainer, its more of our beloved Rage songs. Its not ground-breaking but its still great new material from a band which consistency over the years can only be applauded. There's been a few bumps on the road here and there, but never a truly crappy album, and after so many years of existence and so many albums released, I think its quite rare to find a band with such a quality, and even when the line-up was completely shaken to the bones after the XIII album (actually during I think). If like me you love Rage with a vengeance and are not turned off by German tracks, then you will most likely enjoy this EP as a great appetizer until Rage's next album. But if you don't know the band yet, then there are loads of better CDs (Black in Mind, End of All Days, Lingua Mortis, Unity, Sound Chaser, XIII, Ghosts,...) you can sink your teeth in; to get acquainted with the grand band that Rage is !

Killing Songs :
Gib Dich Nie Auf & Never Give Up, Vollmond.
Chris quoted no quote
Other albums by Rage that we have reviewed:
Rage - Seasons of the Black reviewed by Andy and quoted 82 / 100
Rage - The Devil Strikes Again reviewed by Andy and quoted 83 / 100
Rage - 21 reviewed by Chris and quoted 90 / 100
Rage - Trapped! reviewed by Goat and quoted 88 / 100
Rage - Reflections Of A Shadow reviewed by Goat and quoted 88 / 100
To see all 18 reviews click here
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