Perfect Man

It's telling that even among the creative output that shaped and defined Rage on their earlier records, Perfect Man stands unique. For example, I could match up Reign of Fear and Execution Guaranteed, or Secrets in a Weird World and Reflections of a Shadow as aesthetic pairs, to a degree, but this third triumph is sort of its own thing, and has always remained as such. Not only does this album introduce the 'Soundchaser' mascot in a simple cover image that inspired I don't know how many apocalyptic steampunk dreams, but by contrast it also has this interesting working class metal vibe to it that sounds like a bunch of guys tired from their 9 to 5 at the steel mill meeting up for a few beers and then hitting the practice space at a nearby abandoned factory. It's also the introduction of Manni Schmidt and Chris Efthimiadis into the lineup with Peavy Wagner, and to think the trio could pull off an album this good, their first time out together, is nothing shy of shocking.

Largely gone here is the thrashing edge that we found on the first two albums, and Perfect Man exists in a kind of nexus between grimy traditional heavy metal, power and speed. The constant striving and success at pulling off memorable verse-chorus structures here reminds me a lot of the NWOBHM years, although Peavy has an arguably higher range than all but the legends out of that scene. He metes out a fairly even distribution of his melodic wailing, which always seems to be hitting his target and going just a little bit over the top, and then the more raucous mid-range heavy metal barking. When you combine this with the timbre that his natural German accent brings, it creates a distinctness to his voice that I just wasn't hearing from any other vocalist in these years, even his own esteemed countrymen like Rolf Kasparek, Chris Boltendahl or Udo Dirkschneider, all also possessed of unique styles (though Rolf and Chris operate in a similar wheelhouse). He goes a little Alice Cooper shock rock with some wicked laughs here or there, and honestly seems like a big goofball, but man is his performance on point for this album.

His bass playing, too...this album, more than any other in their canon, reeks of the 'Power Trio' tag, and that's because that straightforward blue collar feel of the production depends a lot on his low end pump supporting the very adventurous rhythm and lead guitars. He might not be a pioneer on the level of a Steve Harris, but he can play circles around most in his position, and the fact he's singing too, and always has been, puts him above the top. One of the top power metal bassists without question, and the clear and thick tone in the mix just rules. Doesn't hurt that Chris is such a great drummer too, with a forceful, fluid command of his kicks and fills that is the perfect fit to the generally faster pace of the material; and yet as good as all these aspects are, it's Manni who is arguably the highlight on this album. His riffs are loaded with all these moody, atmospheric and occasionally grimy sounding chords that were a brilliant matchup to the rhythm section, and then constantly finding ways to add just a little extra finesse or melody without ever taking it too far. The leads feel natural, bluesy in spots but just as adept as most you were hearing in hard rock or metal in the 80s, and I think it's easy to listen through this and feel like his presence is understated and singular throughout.

Twelve tunes. ALL of them excellent, a couple going beyond that to the level of transcendent for me. I'll never forget when I first heard "A Pilgrim's Path" on the local metal show at WJUL Lowell, it was my first exposure to Perfect Man although I'd heard some of the earlier tracks. I was completely absorbed at the time by the glinting acoustic intro which bursts into that mean riff and lead, and then the song has such an awesome flow to the verse vocals and epic, screaming chorus. I had to buy this album immediately, and have never looked back. "Don't Fear the Winter" is another with a similar melodic style, with amazing, driving guitars and drums, and that escalating scream into a chorus that you just cannot forget. Those are great entry points, but honestly there is nothing weak here, songs like "Round Trip", "Supersonic Hydromatic" and "Between the Lines" bring the awesome screaming lines, and there is not a single riff, bass line or drum beat over the entire 44 minutes that I would ever displace, because it's all fucking genius. And that's a pretty compact length for twelve tunes. The CD bonus tracks are also a nice addition even if they're not quite as good as the material that ended up on the album proper; "Neurotic" is a little TOO silly, but at least the music burns with some great ideas.

Even the lyrics to this album are fairly elaborate, musings about daily life and human progress and mostly fit into the consciousness of the 80s, though many of its concerns persist. It's another of the qualities that gave me that impression above of the worker, the everyman, trying to get by in the face of mass social and technological change. I almost find it hard to go on describing Perfect Man, I'd just rather play it for you so you can hear what I love about it so much. I find these sorts of reviews the hardest to write, because I can't ever do it enough justice. I can't ever give this album back what it's given to me. We all need a hill to die on, and this is easily one of mine. Its my favorite Rage album, and one of my favorite Noise Records releases in general, which is saying a lot if you're familiar with the godlike pantheon of bands that once called that label home. Along with records like Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II and Running Wild's Port Royal (another masterpiece I need to cover one day, and not the pirates' only one), Perfect Man hinted at the broad and diverse platform that power metal could one day become. Whether it succeeded on that front, or occasionally failed us with its tackier stereotypes, we can debate another time, but in 1988 this shit was ON.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

After their less than stellar sophomore effort, Rage called it quits, however it didn't even take a whole year before Peter "Peavey" Wagner rethought his choice to disband. He basically recreated Rage from square one, writing a brand new set of songs being played by new band mates. The result is Rage's best album, and a true underground staple. It is worth mentioning that the creature on the cover art looks like a robotic xenomorph, and it doesn't get much more badass than that!

The songs found here take classic metal and inject it with speed and a healthy does of power metal. The result is a real oddity, the album has a very signature sound. The sound is consistent throughout this record, which is either a positive or negative depending on how you view it and your preference. For me, this makes the album feel more focused, and thus a good thing. Peter Wagner provides vocals for Rage, and they are a real highlight here. He is able to hit quite high notes, and deliver them with a considerable amount of power behind them. This is what adds the power metal vibe to the album, and for me is arguably the bands biggest positive. Wagner also provides bass work that is an important part of compositions on this disk.

Guitarist Manni Schmidt also is a real treat. Schmidt is extraordinary at guitar, a real genius. His solos throughout have a real sense of scale and meaning to them. Plus they are absolute shredfests. His solos are of constantly good quality on this album, even on the weaker songs. This helps hold the weaker tunes together and keeps them form seriously derailing the album. Drumming provided by Chris Efthimiadis is very good, although Rage would later come to have superior drummers in its ranks. Still, Chris does a good job here. He knows when to fill and come to the forefront of the songs and when to take a back seat to the rest of the band. Along with this, he has a fair amount of technical skill, enough to get the job done.

It would be hard to mention this album without mentioning how much stronger the first 3/4 of the album are. Not that the last quarter is full of bad songs, but similar to what Pantera did, they shoved the weaker tunes to the end of the album, hoping the strong songs' momentum would carry the last part of the album. However, unlike most Pantera releases, it works quite well here. After such a string of good songs, the less than stellar end doesn't feel that major, nor does it feel like it takes away from the album as a whole. They maintain the same sound as the rest of the album, so the flow and feel of the album is still maintained through these weaker tunes.

I feel fans of classic, power, and speed metal will find this album entertaining. Power and classic metal fans I believe though will get more from the album than the speed fans, although there's enough speed here to keep them entertained. Any guitarist or vocalist will appreciate the sheer technical talent on display here in a way others can not. It is worth the money, and a real underground great.

This is where Rage really get the ball rolling. After putitng out two albums of straight up speed metal, they decided to add more variety to their sound, and thus, they have made an album that completely rules over both of them. The add power metal elements to their speed metal sound, and add more melody. They pretty much improve drastically within one year. The songs are catchier, none of the songs are two long, there are no dull riffs, and Peter's voice finally sounds good. He's actually singing this time around instead of just screaming most of the time. However, they didn't go completely power metal on this album as there is still plenty of speed and heavy riffs which makes the band still bonded to their speed metal roots. This album is pretty much a mix of both power and speed metal. The good thing is that unlike the first two album, this album has absolutely no filler. It's consistent all the way through.

The best songs on this album easily are Don't You Fear the Winter, the title track, Between the Lines, A Pilgram's Path, and especially Death in the Afternoon. The last metioned track especially is very catchy, as both the riffs and the chorus are very memorable. It's easily the best song on the album, and so far, my favorite song form Rage. A Pilgirm's Path is also special for being both very fast and catchy. That chorus is good as shit, seriously!

If you want your first taste of this somewhat underrated german speed/power metal band, it is mandatory that you listen to this album first. I only have the first three albums so far, but from what I've heard so far, this is clearly their best album. It's a great mix of both power and speed metal. Perfect Man is a great addition to any metal fans's collection.

Perfect Man was the first album by the new “power trio” version of Rage. Although I enjoy this album more than predecessor Execution Guaranteed, it was a bit of a step back compositionally. The previous album tended to have more flow and the song writing seemed a bit more progressive. Perfect Man has a greater quantity of good songs, but the songs are more simplistic. Many years ago I recall Peavey calling Perfect Man, paint by the numbers Rage. I agree whole heartedly with this statement.

Perfect Man is full of catchy speed metal songs with melodic, but not wimpy vocals. In a comparison of peers, Rage was heavier than Keeper era Helloween, but not nearly as heavy as Megadeth. Since only a few songs exceed four minutes in length, the band wastes no time in getting to the point. Most songs start fast and end fast with variations in between. The song structures vary slightly from song to song, but retain a standard verse – chorus set up. Rage has always put a premium on catchy vocal melodies and Perfect Man is no exception. Most songs have choruses that will stick in your head well after you are done listening. Sinister Thinking, Don’t Fear the Winter, In the Darkest Hour are all catchy as heck.

Peavey’s vocals as usual for early Rage were often high in the register. His vocals can be a bit of an acquired taste, but I really enjoy them. There are points however where you wish he had reined them in a bit. For example, although I enjoy the fun chorus of Supersonic Hydromatic, it can be a bit goofy and over the top. This problem somewhat hampered the Reflections of a Shadow album as well.

Although there are good riffs and ideas here, it seems as though the songs were a bit thrown together. As stated the song structures become a little too samey and simple after awhile. This has certain benefits as after only a few spins you will begin to remember most of the music. Unfortunately there are times where I think the band could have stretched a little in the song writing department. When everything fit as in Wasteland & Don’t Fear the Winter, the results are fantastic.

I have enjoyed this album for many years and will continue to do so, as it is fun and easy to digest. It is not however their best work and would be easily blown away in a year by the classic Secrets in a Weird World.

Looking for some killer speed metal? Check. Excellent, catchy vocal performance? Check. Wicked guitar leads? You betcha! Totally badass riffage? CHECK! Perfect Man has it all, and then some.

While the totally badass speed metal riffage is the backbone of this album, as well as the "short but sweet" song writing formula, Peter Wagner's vocal performance is the coup de gras. The cherry on top. The final blow. And what have you. Needless to say, the man has an excellent range, and has a rather good habit of being extremely fucking catchy, as well as being extremely fucking awsome. Nothing wrong with that!

"Don't Fear the Winter" is the obvious choice for the best song on Pefect Man, and with damn good reason. It starts out with a little fade-in, then BAM! Like a sack of potatoes dropped right on your balls, Rage kicks it up a notch with some excellent (and very melodic) speed metal riffage. Oddly enough, however, I still feel this isn't the highlight for Wagner's performance...

...that honor goes to songs like "Animal Instinct", "Round Trip", and "Between the Lines", where Wagner's vocal range is really showcased.

Now, while there is nothing wrong with a good ol' "short but sweet" songwriting formula, Rage does show a bit of variety in songs like "A Pilgrim's Path", which starts off with a nice little melodic interlude then builds up throughout the song. A coupld of pretty good leads are there for good measure, as well.

For those who don't like reading reviews, even short ones like mine, here's the extra-short version: BUY THIS ALBUM!

This is Rage's finest hour right here. They get their shit together completely, and put out an album that combines speed and melody effectively. I have had this album since I first got it, on tape for 49 cents, in about 1994 or so, and it still gets frequent rotation... I got the mp3s now, because that tape is hiss city!!

Most of the songs here are on the short side, meaning that they are just long enough to explore their ideas fully, and no longer. About three minutes each, making them catchy and memorable.

The most well known song here is probably "Don't Fear the Winter", which is still in the Rage setlist nowadays. It's one of the most melodic on here, and isn't really all that representative of the album. The other extreme is probably "Death in the Afternoon", which has a monster thrash break - there really are no others on this album, for the most part it's straight up speed metal.

So what is typical? The rest. "Sinister Thinking" for example is a quite nice song. Nice catchy chorus, good verses, although the lyrics can be a bit indecipherable... there is a great variety in the songwriting as well. Other highlights include "One Pilgrim's Path", "Wasteland", and the album closer "Between the Lines". "Oh, I give a fuck!" This one bleeds aggression when needed, though it's combined with some well-done soloing (see Animal Instinct, especially) and of course Peavy's spirited vocal delivery, filled with lots of crazy high notes.

Overall, this can be compared to a slightly heavier, somewhat faster Keeper of the Seven Keys. The catchiness is there, but there is the occasional heavy moment and even a thrash riff here and there. The songs are all interesting, there is not a weak one here. This is Rage's best album... it just fucking works.