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In the summer of 1992 CAGE formed out of the ashes of 2 of San Diego’s premier metal bands NOMAD and CRUSHER with the sole purpose of creating head banging heavy metal that would make the grand masters proud!
In 1999, CAGE released their debut cd UNVEILED, which surprised everyone by delivering a pure heavy metal record that struck at the heart of the alternative, grunge movement, impaling it with its’ metal magic. This garnered them major attention and fans of the German ROCK HARD magazine voted them as the best unsigned band of 1999. As a result of winning the competition, CAGE was invited to play at the prestigious DYNAMO Open Air Festival in Holland being headlined that year by the mighty METALLICA.
In 2001, their astonishing 2nd cd ASTROLOGY was released, which seemed as if it was CAGE 10 years later. Such rapid development had seldom been seen and the fans and metal media alike embraced CAGE for their unequaled ability to combine the classic heavy metal feel with a new millennium identity all their own. The band saw them playing shows as special guests to legendary bands such as IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, DIO and DOKKEN among many others. Touring in support for the cd, saw CAGE playing at the world famous WACKEN Open Air Festival in Germany and the METAL DAYZ Festival in Switzerland, in addition to other festivals / shows throughout the United States.
In 2003, the band released their 3rd cd DARKER THAN BLACK and an all time metal classic was bestowed upon the masses. Featuring guest appearances from legendary guitarist / producer Roy Z (BRUCE DICKINSON – ROB HALFORD – ROB ROCK - HELLOWEEN) and guitarist Joe Floyd (WARRIOR), fans and media worldwide swarmed to hail the cd as a masterpiece - heavy metal classic that many said could never be topped. As usual, CAGE won dozens of CD of the Year and CD of the Month awards all over the world, especially being ranked as the #1 cd in the sound check chart of the prestigious monthly HEAVY magazine in Germany. Touring in support for the cd, saw the band playing high profile worldwide festivals such as the BANG YOUR HEAD / EARTHSHAKER Festivals in Germany; BRAVE WORDS 6 PACK WEEKEND / MILWAUKEE METALFEST / BANG YOUR HEAD USA and the LA GATES OF METAL festivals in the United States; the inaugural MONTERREY METAL FEST in Mexico and special guest support slots to IRON MAIDEN / ARCH ENEMY and SCORPIONS / TESLA concerts at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California; in addition to many other festivals / shows throughout the United States and Mexico.
In 2007, CAGE shocked everyone once again with their epic end of the world concept 4th cd HELL DESTROYER. The critical acclaim for the new cd from the metal media worldwide was even more immense than before, as an entire new legion of fans discovered CAGE from all of the attention that this ultimate tale of Heaven versus Hell received. Once again, CAGE won dozens of CD of the Year and CD of the Month awards and for a 2nd time ranked as the #1 cd in the sound check chart of HEAVY magazine in Germany. Live support for the cd, saw the band playing their 1st ever European headlining tour which included appearances at the KEEP IT TRUE X festival in Germany; the UP THE HAMMERS III Festival in Greece and multiple shows in Germany; in addition to high profile festivals such as NIGHTMARE METALFEST in the Unites States; multiple MAGO DE OZ FEST arena dates / XTREMO 7 and MEXICALI METAL FEST I & II festivals in Mexico; in addition to many other festivals / shows throughout the United States and Mexico.
May 2009 saw CAGE releasing their 5th cd SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION with the band retaining all of the classic CAGE heavy metal sounds fully intact, while pushing the metal musical boundaries in every department. With the addition of former PSYCHOTIC WALTZ drummer Norm “The Legend” Leggio, CAGE turned up the energy level to 200% to put the POWER back in POWER METAL. Once again, CAGE continued winning dozens of CD of the Year and CD of the Month awards and for an unprecedented 3rd time, ranked as the #1 cd in the sound check chart of HEAVY magazine in Germany, an honor only matched by the mighty KIND DIAMOND. Current live support for the new cd so far, has seen CAGE play their 2nd European headlining tour which included a co-headlining slot at the MERCENARIES METAL MEETING festival in Germany; headliners of the ELEMENTS OF ROCK Festival in Switzerland and other shows in Germany – Holland – Belgium - Czech Republic and Slovakia. In addition, the band has played other high profile festivals such as the legendary and prestigious PROG POWER USA X Festival / NIGHTMARE METALFEST / BINGHAMTON AREA METALFEST in the Unites States; multiple MAGO DE OZ FEST / XTREMO 7 and MEXICALI METAL FEST I & II festivals in Mexico and other festivals / shows throughout the United States and Mexico.
2010 touring activities will see extensive and far reaching worldwide CAGE festival / tour dates in Europe, United States, Mexico, South America, Australia and Japan.
Latest news here
Review scores for the latest album from 2009 'Science of Anhiliation'
Heavy magazine (Germany) 12/12
Album of the Month (June 2009) / Das Album des Monats (Jun 2009)
Darkside webzine (Russia) 10/10
Metal Side webzine (Poland) 10/10
The Forgotten Scroll webzine (Greece) 10/10
Metal Katehisis webzine (Bulgaria) 10/10
HeavyMetalPT Webzine (Portugal) 10/10
Unstoppable Force webzine (United States) 10/10
Metal News webzine (Germany) 7/7
All Access Music magazine (United States) 5/5
Dark City magazine (Russia) 5/5
FFM Rock webzine (Germany) 5/5
Rough Edge webzine (United States) 4/4
Metal To Infinity webzine (Belgium) 100/100
Power Metal webzine (Poland)
Album of the Month (June 2009)
Metalheads Remigiusland webzine (Germany)
Album of the Month (June 2009)
Metal Rules webzine (Germany)
CD TIPP
Metal Invasion podcast (France)
Album of the Week
Concrete Web webzine (Belgium) 98/100
Marios Metal Mania webzine (Holland) 98/100
Power of Metal webzine (Denmark) 98/100
Killer Album (May 2009) / Killer Album (Mai 2009)
Wheels of Fire radio show (Mexico) 9.7/10
Mundo Rock blog (Chile) 9.5/10
Schweres-Metall webzine (Germany) 9.5 / 10
Album of the Month (May 2009) / Das Album des Monats (Mai 2009)
Metal Hammer magazine website - Chaos Backstage Blog (England) 9.5/10
The Metal Bootcamp radio show (United States) 9.5/10
PowerMetal webzine (Germany) 9.5/10
Lemezkritika webzine (Hungary) 9.5/1
Aardschok magazine (Holland) 95/100
Digital Steel webzine (Holland) 94/100
Metal Mundus webzine (Poland) 9.3/10
Hard Rock Haven webzine (United States) 9.2/10
Spirit of Metal webzine (Canada) 19/20
Musikansich webzine (Germany) 18/20
Underground Empire webzine (Germany) 18/20
Metal Integral webzine (France) 17/20
Magic Fire Music webzine (France) 12/20
Musik Reviews webzine (Germany) 14/15
Bizarre Radio (Germany) 14/15
Bizarre Radio (Germany) 14/15
Detritus webzine (United States) A-/B+
Metal Eater webzine (Canada) B+
(Spin CD of the Week)
White Metal webzine (Italy) 90/100
ZwareMetalen webzine (Germany) 90/100
Virtuosity One webzine (England) 90/100
Metal webzine (Germany) 9/10
Top Album of the Year (2009) / Top-Alben des Jahres (2009)
Rock Hard magazine (Germany) 9/10
10X Dynamite CD (June 2009)
Metal Maniac magazine (Italy) 9/10
Maniac Album (July 2009)
Search & Destroy webzine (Mexico) 9/10
Eternal Metal Flame webzine (Germany) 9/10
Dirty Rock magazine (Australia) 9/10
Ive Vajal webzine (Germany) 9/10Obliveon webzine (Germany) 9/10
The Metal Observer webzine (Germany) 9/10
The Mauce webzine (Holland) 9/10
Event Horizon Blogspot (Portugal ) 9/10
Metal Mayhem UK webzine (England) 9/10
Metal Reviews webzine (United States) 88/100Metal Storm webzine (France) 8.7/10
Powermetal webzine (Poland) 8.7/10
Hellspawn webzine (Belgium) 87/100
Music Sammler webzine (Germany) 8.6/10
Rock Reviews webzine (Finland ) 8.6/10
Revelationz webzine (Denmark) 8.5/10
Album of the month (May 2009)
Brave Words and Bloody Knuckles magazine (Canada) 8.5/10
Holy Steel webzine (Italy) 8.5/10
EUTK webzine (Italy) 8.5/10
Metal Express Radio (Norway) 8.5/10
Mundo Rock webzine (Colombia) 85/100
Rock Realms webzine (England) 85/100
Flash magazine (Italy) 85/100True Metal webzine (Italy) 84/100
Castle of Pagan webzine (Japan) 82/100
Fury Rocks webzine (Holland ) 8.2/10
Metallized webzine (Italy) 80/100
Metal Minstrel webzine (Denmark) 80/100
Heavy Metal Resource webzine (United States) 8/10
Mad for Metal webzine (United States) 8/10
Pro Rock magazine (Bulgaria) 8/10
Metalfan webzine (Romania) 8/10
Rafabasa webzine (Spain) 8/10
From The Dust Returned blogspot (United States) 8/10
Metal Covenant webzine (Denmark ) 8/10
(Recommended CD)
Dark Scene webzine (Austria) 8/10
Hall of Metal webzine (Spain) 8/10
Sleaze Metal webzine (Germany) 8/10
Metal Nose webzine (Holland) 8/10
Dark Scene webzine (Austria) 8/10
Rocking Boy webzine (Germany) 8/10
Kronos Mortus webzine (Hungary) 8/10
Hard Rock magazine (Hungary) 8/10
Hall of Metal webzine (Spain) 8/10
Imperiumi webzine (Finland) 8/10
Metal 4 All webzine (Spain) 8/10
Greek Rebels webzine (Greece) 8/10
Hard Sounds webzine (Italy) 76/100
Raw & Wild webzine (Italy) 7.5/10
Metal Review webzine (United States) 7.5/10
Lords of Metal webzine (Holland) 70/100
Rockwind webzine (Greece) 7/10
Metal Universe webzine (France) 7/10
Chronicles of Chaos webzine (United States ) 7/10
RRRZ webzine (Germany) 6.5/10
Metalitalia webzine (Italy) 6.5/10
Minneapolis Metal Music Examiner blog (USA) 6.5/10
Metal Hammer magazine (UK) 6/10
Entrateparallele webzine (Italy) 6/7
Silent Scream webzine (Italy) 6/7
HMP magazine (Poland) 6/6
Album of the Month (July 2009)
Rock Rebel webzine (Italy) 4.5/5
Amazon (United States) 4.5/5
Maximum Metal webzine (United States) 4/5
Metal CD Ratings webzine (United States) 4/5
Stormbringer webzine (Austria) 4/5
Danger Dog Music webzine (United States) 4/5
MSTOS webzine (Germany) 4/5
Friday 13th webzine (England) 4/5
Metal Temple webzine (Greece) 4/5
Metalist webzine (Israel) 4/5
FretPlay webzine (USA) 4/5
The Right to Rock podcast (United States) 3.75/4
KK Downing's Steel Mill webzine (Denmark) KKK/KKKK
MetalTeamUK webzine (England)
Burrn magazine (Japan) #6 on Import CD charts
The US certainly ain’t the first place that springs to mind when thinking of true heavy or power metal. Alright, so thrash metal wouldn’t have got very far without the Bay Area, and Florida of course did great things for the death metal scene and, well, as for Iowa, let’s not even go there (*cough* Slipknot *cough*). I’ve been quite the fan of Cage since hearing their 2007 release Hell Destroyer, and in my opinion they are one of the more underrated power metal bands around. They have what I would consider to be a very European sound and as such, I can’t help but think they would get far more recognition for what they are doing if they were based somewhere like Germany, but then again, sometimes it is better for a band to stay underground. You have your Premiership players in the field; your Primal Fears and Hammerfalls and as far as I’m concerned Cage crush them all into the ground.
While those aforementioned bands plod along in the lower ranks of the mainstream, persistently watering down their sound to even greater extents on each passing album Cage are going at it strong and showing no signs of slowing down. Alright, so it’s early days and Cage are still young pups compared to those bands but there always comes a time for the torch to be passed down to the younger, more agile athlete. With Science Of Annihilation you know exactly what you’re going to get and it isn’t compromising for anyone. To put it bluntly, this is meatier than a 14oz steak, sharper than the knife used to cut it with and as heavy as the lard arse who ate the fucker! ‘Planet Crusher’ comes bounding in with a truly devastating bit of riffage, delivering an instant crushing blow before continuing to give a thorough pounding.
Vocalist Sean Peck really, really wants to be Halford, but he at least pulls it off with power and conviction and it would be churlish to fault him for that. It’s the final nailing in of the main message on ‘Scarlet Witch’ that really has me under a spell as it really bangs home the point of being ‘Taken by a scarlet witch!’ With its hurtling drums and adrenaline fuelled vocals this is easily one of my favourite tracks on the album, along with the King Diamond-esque ‘Black River Falls.’ This one comes around half way into the album and with its tales of little children being lured by evil it puts across that vibe of being a rather sinister fairy tale.
‘Speed Kills;’ well if it’s true them this track would surely need a yellow hazard sign over it to warn one to stay away. This hurtles forth at a lightning fast speed, which if you got in the way of, you’d be knocked straight into next week! The same could be said for most of this album and if you’re like me and despise those cringeworthy ballads that constantly crop up on power metal records then you’ll be delighted to know there’s none of that wimpy nonsense on here; just wall to wall metal! If you even have the slightest penchant for power metal then I urge you to listen to this; it’s about as good as the genre has to offer.
Luci Herbert
Metal Messiah Radio (United States)
Well, let me tell you, this and insanely heavy metal masterpiece. In fact it is the heaviest album from Cage to date. If you thought Hell Destroyer was the best stuff CAGE has ever done, check this ass kicking cd out. Science of Annihilation has an interesting sci fi intro, then gives it to you hard and fast with 'Planet Crusher". Sean Peck demonstrates over and over again the intense power of his back breaking vocals. Drummer Norm Leggio adds to this power. He is an incredible drummer. You have to hear this cd to appreciate how great he is. Shredders Dave Garcia and Anthony Wayne McGinnis will blow your mind away with the speed and quality of their dual axemanship. Mike Giordano on bass ties everything in with his excellent playing.
Dave Softee
Detritus webzine (United States)
It would be easy to dismiss Cage as just another comic book themed power metal band, but on SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION they effectively put that notion to rest with a performance that can only be described as explosive. You'll have these guys on your short list of acts to see live when you hear such metal chargers as "Scarlet Witch," "Operation Overlord," "Power Of A God," and "Die Glocke." Cage just really excel at intensity, with special recognition going to that force of nature vocalist of theirs Sean Peck, good grief man! Not to take anything away from the rest of the band, however, as you have simply one of the best dual guitar attacks currently working in metal with Anthony Wayne McGuiness and Dave Garcia, along with kinetic bassist Mike Giordano and hyperactive new skinsman Norm Leggio (ex-Psychotic Waltz). Peck really drives it home though, with his devastating blend of Rob Halford, King Diamond, and Ripper Owens in full force here. Production wise I wish the drums had been mixed a bit better and I thought the lead guitar work was somewhat abbreviated in places, but these are elatively minor citations. At the end of the day this is the type of thing you either like or don't, so I'll just summarize by saying if you are a fan of Judas Priest, Halford, King Diamond and Vicious Rumors you'll most certainly get a kick in the ass from SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION, as these professors of headbanging have killing with metal down to, well, a science!
Neal Woodall
Metal R Us webzine (United States)
There is no hope...there is only DOOM!
Welcome the Science of Annihilation. This is the newest effort of San Diego based heavy metal band Cage. For those that do not know Cage, they have been progressively finding their niche in the American Heavy/Power Metal genre. They garnered massive public interest with their 2003 release, "Darker Than Black". Then Hell Destroyer was released in 2007. With Hell Destroyer the band started to push more into a formulaic sound. They pushed the falsetto screams and chugging riffs that asked the question, how will they grow from this?
It took the dropping of a drummer and the gaining of a new one, progressively influenced drummer (Norm Leggio) to help propel Cage into what is their latest effort. The album is not a concept album like Hell Destroyer but, rather 13 kick ass tracks that bring forth the glory of metal. Overall album vibe sounds like they went back to Darker Than Black and listened to more King Diamond while reading comics.
Many of the songs take direct influence from various Marvel comics with songs like Planet Crusher (Galactus reference), Spirit of Vengeance (Ghost Rider reference) and Scarlett Witch (guess who that references). Musically speaking this is the most diverse Cage album to date. They have experimented with some wonderful melodies and Norm has added a great touch of different drum beats done in familiar time signatures. The most refreshing thing about this album is the overall band cohesiveness. In Hell Destroyer it sounded like Sean Peck with a guitar backing. This album sounds like Cage, the band. I can hear influences from every member and the contribution of each into making a bigger, more impressive sound.
Favorite songs from the album are the well written and King Diamond feeling epic, "Black River Falls", the catchy and aggressive, "Stranger in Black", and finally, the albums name sake, "Science of Annihilation." The album is a hard hitting dose of American Heavy Metal that doesn't stop giving. Every song on this album is a classic which makes this an album you can listen to in one sitting without getting bored. Well done, to my San Diego metal brothers.
All hail Cage!!!
Erik "The Cactus Monster"
Big Music Geek webzine (United States)
Ever get the feeling that barring a few noteworthy exceptions, most domestically-based Heavy Metal groups lack the musical conviction and lyrical sincerity of their European counterparts? Although I’ll be the first to admit I wholeheartedly enjoy the now pioneering works of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer as much--if not more--than the atypical self-proclaimed Headbanger, I frequently find myself disappointed with the overall lack of imagination that often characterizes the recorded output of many ‘American’ acts. Accordingly, it’s not often that I am afforded the opportunity to gleefully deploy descriptives such as ‘…a breath of fresh air…’ and ‘…groundbreaking…’ while remaining unequivocally ethical. Fortunately, this was not the case with the stunning Science Of Annihilation, the latest slab of unbridled sonic blasphemy from battlescarred veterans Cage.
On the brilliant Science Of Annihilation (2009), an expertly assembled thirteen song collection of flawlessly executed, Blackened Power Metal, each track, beginning with the self-explanatory (or so it would seem) “Planet Crusher”, and the scalding, bile-spewing tirade “Scarlett Witch”, immediately commands the rapt and undivided attention of even the most jaded and unimaginative of listeners, myself most definitely included. Undoubtedly attempting to re-capture the fist-pumping, mosh-inducing insanity that has consistently personified the group’s recent past while distancing themselves from the shameless, payola and chart position-driven tactics so often employed by their few would-be contemporaries, the newly rejuvenated San Diego, California-based quintet flexes their considerable creative muscles early and often without overly focusing on their own virtuosic talents.
Continuing with the impossibly full-throttle “Black River Falls” (based upon Michael Lesy’s 1973 literary masterpiece Wisconsin Death Trip), and the WWI/D-Day-fueled lament “Operation Overlord”, the airtight--to say the very least--combination of vocalist Sean Robert Livingston Peck, guitarists Anthony Wayne McGinnis and Dave Garcia, bassist Mike Giordano, and drummer Norm Leggio (ex-Psychotic Waltz, replacing the inexplicably absent Mike Nielsen), steamrolls ahead with what can only be described as a truly sickening ease. Wasting little--if any--time engulfing the proverbial average listener amid a thunderous array of soaring, multi-octave vocals, razor-sharp riffs and shred-laden solos, the group effortlessly delivers each delightfully caustic composition with a unique, ‘…carefully calculated…’ precision, thus thoroughly satisfying all parties involved.
Co-produced by Peck and Garcia (who, not surprisingly, are also responsible for the vast majority of the group’s brimstone-caked songwriting) at the now-infamous Richard Carr Studios, other standouts, including the relentlessly pummeling “Stranger In Black”, and the overwrought, equally impressive closer “Edge Of The Infinite”, deftly reaffirm the group’s well-deserved reputation as a bona fide creative force not to be ignored. Wisely improving upon 2007’s awkwardly-title yet undeniably ingenious Hell Destroyer (or, for that matter, 2003’s genre-defying classic Darker Than Black), what ultimately separates the group from their few remaining brethren is a seemingly unparalleled ability to boldly temper an insatiable--if not outright bowel-churning--penchant for overwhelming ferociousness with a veritable ‘…plethora…’ of maddeningly infectious histrionics.
So what’s wrong? Absolutely nothing. In fact, at this point, I find it entirely inconceivable that the group’s already well-documented modus operandi could actually be improved upon. Easily the most imaginative and musically ambitious release in the frequently ferocious fivesome’s already sprawling catalog, the majority--if not all--of the decidedly over-the-top wares contained herein effectively epitomize the genre’s finest elements, a much-welcomed and increasingly rare characteristic that makes the mighty Science Of Annihilation an invariably memorable experience. As a result, if you’ve once again found yourself in search of an authentic Heavy Metal experience that won’t leave you feeling coyote ugly guilty the next morning just for enjoying it, then this, my friends, might just be the high octane cure for what ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Totentanz magazine (Germany)
13 neue Kracher von Cage aus San Diego! Sänger Sean Peck hat mir mal gemailt das die CD das ultimative „Painkiller“ Style Album wird...und er hat Recht behalten! Von vorne bis hinten atmet das Werk den Geist von Judas Priest. Und da die britische Legende mit „Nostradamus“ nicht wirklich bei jedem Fan punkten konnte, werden traditionell veranlagte Metalheads geradezu in Jubelschreie ausbrechen wenn sie die neue Cage hören! Sägende Riffs, treibender Rhythmus und ein Sänger der die hohen langen Screams problemlos meistert! Doch all die guten Zutaten wären ohne Sinn wenn das Songwriting Kacke ist, da kann ich euch aber beruhigen – ach Bullshit – ihr ahnt es ja sowieso – die Band weiß wie Heavy Metal buchstabiert wird. „Planet Crusher“, „Speed Kills“ oder „Die Glocke” (jaaa, deutscher Titel!) sind die Tracks die demnächst laut mitgeschrieen werden wenn Cage irgendwo spielen oder irgendein Rock DJ sich traut mal was von der (übrigens sehr druckvoll und fett produzierten) „Science of Annihilation“ aufzulegen. Viel mehr gibt es nicht zu sagen, denn hier passt einfach alles zusammen. Cage, die einst ein Geheimtipp der „Keep it True“ Gemeinde waren, werden damit richtig einschlagen – wetten?
Arno
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