RAGER – Eat Metal

The first wave of Thrash Metal began when Slayer and Metallica released their first albums, Haunting The Chapel, Show No Mercy and Kill Em’ All – all were released between 1982-1983. The Slovenian band Rager sounds like they were bred in that fabulous time of great music. Rager combines Thrash Metal with all sorts of Speed Metal elements with the very factor that is this sub-genres roots – NWOBHM. It’s good to know that there are bands out there who still take NWOBHM as their roots like in the old days.

These youngsters from Postoina have been thrashing since 2005. They began their release efforts with a demo of their song, “Iron Beast”, which was featuring the W.Y.A.T show, in the summer of 2007. Now, two years later, Rager, with a new line-up, demonstrates their talents again by releasing their debut EP, Eat Metal, this time with four songs that will inspire you to go back to listening to that ancient era of Thrash / Speed Metal.

Rager shows that it is not giving in to any modern elements, even among the Old School Metal maniacs out there that usually use some in their recordings. Rager has been forging their Metal by the book, the old book to be exact. Eat Metal’s music is simple and forward with no sense of progression, like in the early 80s. The structures of the songs are well anticipated and the riffs are very well known. But the band’s performance and their use of their roots is the main topic here, because originality is not something these guys focus on.

This whole EP may not be perfect, and probably many dudes will see it as a dying art and a dull reminder, but it’s quite the other way around. Rager had piled up well-constructed songs with a simplicity that is not hurting anyone. Their music is a good refreshment for the ear, after being stuck too long in the more modern world of Metal, so Rager’s pick of the early 80s is the best answer for that. Another thing worth mentioning is the vintage sound of the guitars and even the drums, which are examples of the great efforts by the staff in ZalcyPalcy Studios.

Not all of the EP is a highlight, but all the songs will be mentioned because it’s only four songs. “Shadows Of The Past” is a song that brought tears, a true Speed / Heavy Metal killer track taken from 1983. The guitars are awesome, the vocals are a true talent and there is also a display of good bass lead work. “Spoils Of War” , a well placed opener of war and death – a great track, “Iron Beast” , the band’s first demo re-recorded, is a mixture of NWOBHM with Thrash Metal, a very interesting track with fine guitar work. Finally, “Ritual Of Death” , an attempt to go through the darker places that shrouded NWOBHM in its later stages and in the early stages of Thrash Metal, a nice song but not more than that.

Rager are a gem of a band. If they can keep up with these kinds of tunes, which not many are doing so today, they can put a huge landmark on their efforts. Even if it isn’t heavy like most of the guys, it sure sounds like an unborn classic.