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Cage - Unveiled

Artist:	Cage
Title:	Unveiled
Label:	Omega Records OM 990901/LU 99061-2
Length(s):	56 minutes
Year(s) of release:	1999
Month of review:	11/1999

Line up

Dave Garcia - guitar
Damian Arletto - drums
Sean Peck - vocals
Eric Horton - guitar
Mike Giordano - bass
Btw the booklet shows Damian on drums, but the bio sheet has a picture of somebody else. Hence I wonder who is the current drummer with the band.

Tracks

1)	Shoot To Kill	4.22
2)	Modern Darkness	4.01
3)	I Live	3.16
4)	Buried In The Box	3.43
5)	Devil Inside	4.26
6)	Dacing Around The Fire	4.55
7)	Release Me	4.28
8)	Unveiled	6.00
9)	The Iron Priest	0.29
10)	Nomad	4.21
11)	Influence	2.59
12)	E.B.S.	0.12
13)	Disaster	3.29
14)	Sudden Death	3.29
15)	Asta La Vista	3.01
16)	Bonus CD Rom Track

Summary

On the same label as Avalon and Time Machine this is a band hailing from San Diego. The fact that they are supposedly carrying the banner of true traditional metal does not inspire hope for me.

The music

Shoot To Kill calls first Iron Maiden to mind, but the music is quite a bit heavier than these succesful metallists. But you've guessed it, this is not necessarily progmetal. Powerful, driven metal, with chanted backing vocals and a good performance by Peck. Opening with a bass solo follows Modern Darkness. The vocals are generally a bit lower than with Maiden and I like them the better for it. The songs are well-wrought, well played and as a whole shows a mature metal band. In the opening of I Live Metallica comes to mind. The rest of the song is more catchy. Buried In The Box is mid-tempo, a bit of the plodding type. One of the stronger songs up to now is Devil Inside. It opens more or less like a ballad, but then some powerful chords are played and the tempo is upped. The vocal melody is quite good. Of course it also contains the obligatory guitar solo. Dancing Around The Fire adds some Arabic sounding guitarwork, Unveiled features some SF talk and a slow, heavy opening. After the short The Iron Priest we move into the hasty sung Nomad. Rhythm guitar work is central in Influence. Disaster is in parts quite like Master of Puppets by Metallica.

Conclusion

If you are into heavy metal then this is definitely an album for you to try. Powerful, driven, good vocals, varied playing and strong compositions. However, if you are into either the atmospherics or the complexity of progmetal, then this might not be for you.