독일이 자랑하는 3인조 메탈밴드 RAGE가 록과 클래식을 절묘하게 결합시킨 2006년 최신작 [SPEAK OF THE DEAD]!
드디어 RAGE이하 레이지의 2006년 신작 [SPEAK OF THE DEAD]가 모습을 드러냈다. 2004년 후반 라이브 앨범 [FROM THE CRADLE TO THE STAGE]가 잠시 팬들의 갈증을 씻어주긴 했지만 1~2년 간격으로 꾸준히 정규 스튜디오 앨범을 발표했던 밴드라 3년이라는 시간은 정말 길게 느껴졌다. 특히, 2003년 8월에 펼쳐졌던 ‘부산 국제 락 페스티벌’의 마지막 무대에 올라 다대포 해수욕장 밤하늘을 접수했었던 'HIGHER THAN THE SKY'는 아직도 기억에 생생하다.
신작은 전작 [SOUNDCHASER]와 마찬가지로 PETER "PEAVY" WAGNER이하 피비-VICTOR SMOLSKI이하 빅터-MIKE TERANNA이하 마이크로 이루어진 3인조 라인업이다. 사실 1999년 후반에 레이지가 새로운 3인조 밴드로 돌아왔을 때 이 3명이 오랫동안 한 팀을 유지하리라고 생각하기는 힘들었다. 우선 3명이 독일, 미국, 러시아 출신으로 국적이 모두 다르다. 또한 멤버들의 성향을 살펴보면 피비는 당시만 해도 어느 밴드의 리더와 비교해도 뒤지지 않을 독재자였고, 빅터는 어느 순간 솔로활동을 한다고 탈퇴하더라도 어색하지 않아 보였던 기타리스트, 마이크는 일정한 안식처 없이 여러 유명 기타리스트들의 음반 작업에 참여하면서 커리어를 이어온 드러머였기 때문이었다.
기존 멤버들을 압도하는 테크닉을 자랑하는 빅터와 마이크가 너무 마음에 들어서였는지 모르겠지만 21세기에 들어서는 피비가 변했다. 1980년대 후반에서 1990년 초반 전성기를 누렸던 3인조로 돌아와서 발표한 첫 번째 앨범 [WELCOME TO THE OTHER SIDE]에서부터 그는 독재자적인 모습을 과감히 버렸다. 가사는 여전히 피비가 전담했지만 작곡은 빅터가 절반 이상을 차지할 정도로 강력한 입지를 행사했다. 그리고 빅터와 마이크는 레이지의 활동에 지장이 없는 범위에서 솔로 활동도 병행했다. 이러한 방식으로 가장 불안하게 느껴졌었던 3인조 레이지는 동일한 라인업으로 가장 오랜 기간인 7년을 함께하고 있고, 지금 이 순간에는 멤버들의 잦은 교체로 항상 불안하게 느껴졌던 레이지가 아니라 가장 강력한 팀워크를 자랑하는 레이지다.
1996년, 레이지는 새로운 도전을 했다. 그것은 [BLACK IN MIND]의 주요 곡들을 중심으로 심포닉 오케스트라와 협연한 [LINGUA MORTIS]라는 앨범이었다. 예전을 보면 DEEP PURPLE, 최근을 보면 METALLICA, SCORPIONS등 여러 유명 밴드들도 이러한 크로스오버 앨범을 발표해서 이제는 락과 클래식의 조화가 낯설게 느껴지지 않는다. 그 중에서도 레이지의 작품은 완성도 면에서 팬들과 전문가들에게 상당한 호평을 받았다. 직후 발표한 [END OF ALL DAYS]에서는 다시 기존 레이지 사운드로 돌아가는 모습을 보였지만 [Ⅷ]과 [GHOST]에서는 오리지널 노래로 오케스트라와 협연한 앨범을 발표해 락과 클래식의 조화는 단지 1회성 이벤트가 아니라는 사실을 보여줬다. [GHOST]가 발표된 후 7년이 지난 2006년 3월, RAGE는 또 다시 오케스트라와 협연한 [SPEAK OF THE DEAD]와 함께 나타났다. 신작의 커버는 SHADOWS FALL, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, SOILWORK, ICED EARTH 앨범 등을 맡았던 경력이 있는 ANTHONY CLARKSON이 디자인했다. [UNITY]와 [SOUNDCHASER]에서 입체화된 괴물이 다시 그림 속으로 들어간 느낌으로 지금까지 발표한 레이지 작품에서도 몇 손가락 안에 들 수 있을 정도로 멋지다. 사운드는 크게 “SUITE LINGUA MORTIS”라고 명명된 클래식 파트와 헤비메탈 파트로 나눌 수 있다. .... ....
> Innocent guilty, she did not reply when he called He didn't know she was innocent guilty But it'd come to that Twenty times that day He tried to call her on the phone But he did not succeed And noone answered the door but then he heard her dog So she must have been at home and he called her name But it was in vain Innocent guilty, she did not reply when he called He didn't knew she was innocent guilty But it'd come to that He found the back door open So he stole into the house Where he found the body of her father In the kitchen, blood was all around On the table a letter that she wrote Please forgive me I have killed this man 'Cause he raped me I can't stand the pain, the shame, my love, this last goodbye... And he ran up the stairs to her room where she had opened her veins... Innocent guilty, she did not reply when he called He didn't knew she was innocent guilty But as it seemed she was dead
"Feel no regrets, 'cause I am death Feel no regrets."
"I wanna know where do we go Where do you take me now There is no choice, my inner voice Tells not to fear somehow
It's hard for me to let it be I cannot understand I'm still so young, I don't belong To those who meet their end."
"You always thought your first man would marry you Now, as it seems, he just comes to burry you I am this man and I'm gonna be your last Give me your hand, your life belongs to the past
'Cause I am death Feel no regrets."
"It's so unfair, 'cause everywhere I see the blossom grow While others try to end their lifes I want it, heaven knows."
"You always thought your first man would marry you Now, as it seems, he just comes to burry you I am this man and I'm gonna be your last Give me your hand, your life belongs to the past
'Cause I am death Feel no regrets."
Feel no regrets, my friend, I will speak to those who listen See, I am heaven sent, you will find what you've been missing Feel no regrets, my friend , noone ever knows the reasons Why and when it will end. Every life is just a season Feel no regrets, 'cause I am death
Im bliss in everything The feather and the wing Though I'm gone I'm more alive I was The beauty in it all When darkness falls around you And you can see nothing at all Then there's gonna shine a light And you will find There is beauty That there is beauty
On a cemetary after midnight See the dancing spirits in the moonlight Open your mind, let the world in You can see it's beauty, there is no sin Madness - in your brain the quest won't end Helpless - what is it that never we stop to hurt ourselves, this is Careless - a force from within will send Sadness - why don't we try to cut this chains, this chains. I tell ya If we'd get over and then control our minds No fear, no fear No need to look for cover, leave it all behind No fear, no fear All that military, every weapon Only shows how much we are afraid of Being overrunned, being submitted Everything we do in absence of love Madness - we can't share, though all is there Helpless - we get greedy, we wanna have all for ourselves. This is Careless - arrogance ignores what is Sadness - so afraid that it turns around, around. I tell ya If we'd get over and then control our minds No fear, no fear No need to look for cover, leave it all behind No fear, no fear No more life to waste and no more tears to taste just No fear now Never hide away and always seize the day just No fear now No fear now, no fear now, leave it all behind No fear now, no fear now, open up your mind
So many screaming faces Telling me tales I've heared before I wanna tear down their masks of fake And all these smiling dealers Selling me lies I want no more The're pretending to give but take All I knew I gave you I am a soul survivor What I do, it is true I am a soul survivor A life describer, I'm telling no lies The sharks have sharpened their teeth Trying to bite and chew it all What we fought for since all our lifes I'ts only for the profit Never it was for you or me But so many believe their lies All I knew I gave you I am a soul survivor What I do, it is true I am a soul survivor A life describer, I'm telling no lies Oh, you better believe in yourself Oh, you better be true to yourself
The sun is going down on a blood red sky And I feel it coming from real deep inside Now I gotta hide Darkness blacker than black is creeping Down from all of the trees around Nothing moves, everything is sleeping All that creatures won't make a sound Won't you set me free, won't you set me free When the full moon will rule the night I need someone to share my silence Lonely is it, a hunter's night Can you feel what I feel and can you Stand the nightmare to live this life My beast from within companion in sin Won't you set me free, won't you set me free When the full moon will rule the night I'm falling from grace Won't you set me free, won't you set me free When the full moon will rule the night
And in the moment of salvation The only thing he could see was his guilt He felt his lust was his guilt And all his life was frustration 'Cause every feeling that he liked, it was killed Like all his love that was killed
He prays to god to be forgiven for everything he is A punisher, an angry father, noone needs this
Kill your gods, save your souls Kill your gods, kill your gods, you'd Kill your gods, save your souls Kill your gods, you should kill your gods
To these old men in their robes, they Are politicians for the sake of their power It's for the money and the power Don't tell the world how to live life We lead our spirits on our own We'd better kick you from the throne
Dogmatic rules and mighty preachers, the Lord, he sees it well If he was such a lousy father - I say welcome to hell (Let's go to hell)
Kill your gods, save your souls Kill your gods, kill your gods, you'd Kill your gods, save your souls Kill your gods, kill your gods , don't kill your brothers
All my life it took me years to find my way So hard for me to turn around Ain't no way to dry my tears or ease my pain I feel like I am burning out
It seems so long ago,it seems so long ago Like I have been before You taught me humbleness
You turn my world around Turn it upside 'n' down You turn my world around I cry without a sound
All in vain, no second chance to give it back You shouldn't have to take it all All was stained and then this chain around the neck The picture that had made me fall
It is so hard to say, it is so hard to say If I can stand this grief You gave me bitter years
You turn my world around Turn it upside 'n' down You turn my world around I cry without a sound
You came into my life, took away what I've loved the most You dried my heart and you killed my soul
You turn my world around Turn it upside 'n' down You turn my world around I cry without a sound
We were the brotherhood We blindly understood Were all we needed, it was good Has been as close, just as we could But as the years went by I've seen our friendship die And when I look into your eyes It seems you're going separate ways
The inner pressure to hold on tight Is not a pleasure Reflect your feelings, do what you want You better let me know
You should be with me or you should be gone (Don't waste my time) You'd be with me or you should be gone (Don't waste my time) Be with me or be gone Be with me or be gone Stay on my side or leave me be
We went through thick and thin We made it all begin And formed a union hard as rock A grooving machine that was locked We must have lost this feel Life's not like stainless steel Corrosion of integrity Deceased in our identity
The inner pressure to hold on tight Is not a pleasure Reflect your feelings, do what you want You better let me know
You should be with me or you should be gone (Don't waste my time) You'd be with me or you should be gone (Don't waste my time) Be with me or be gone Be with me or be gone Stay on my side or leave me be
Don't try to tell me you've got the better truth 'Cause this is just a never ending lie You wouldn't make it to walk in someones shoes The only thing you share is that you'll die
You follow all those murderers, in phantasies and real You might become the same, think what you feel
Don't believe in Military, leaving nothing but destruction No trust in presidents, they don't speak of the dead Don't do what others tell you, this is only self seduction They'll try to put you dows when you speak of the dead Speak of the dead, speak of the dead
Countless in number, mistreated and abused They were our brothers, do you realise Do you remember or do you wipe them out Like all so many, do you close your eyes
If they could raise their voices they would have a lot to say Avoid the old mistakes, give them their way
Don't believe in Military, leaving nothing but destruction No trust in presidents, they don't speak of the dead Don't do what others tell you, this is only self seduction They'll try to put you dows when you speak of the dead Speak of the dead, speak of the dead
Don't do what others tell you, this is only self seduction Don't let them put you down when you Speak of the dead
Don't believe in Military, leaving nothing but destruction No trust in presidents, they don't speak of the dead Don't do what others tell you, this is only self seduction They'll try to put you dows when you speak of the dead Speak of the dead, speak of the dead