THE RODS
THE RODS “Rattle The Cage”
By Theron Moore
For as long as I can remember THE RODS have flown under the radar of mainstream metal and rock radio for the better part of their career. It escapes me how bands like THE RODS, EXCITER, and RAVEN never caught fire and took off in a big way like METALLICA did. THE RODS in particular should’ve been bigger and I give props to the metal world for latching onto power metal / classic metal now and giving this genre and the bands inside it the recognition they deserve.
The good news is THE RODS are back with a new record set for release January 19 via Massacre Records titled “Rattle The Cage” and I really hope, both for their sake and the metal world in general, that this album gets them the attention they rightfully deserve. For this writer, it hit the mark. With song titles like “Rattle The Cage,” “Metal Highways,” “Shockwave,” and “Hearts Of Steel,” you know what you’re in for: METAL, a ten song celebration of all things heavy, and all things metal.
If you dug their previous record, “Brotherhood Of Metal”. this album is more or less an extension of that style of music so you’ll either like “Rattle The Cage” or dislike it based on that.
“Rattle The Cage” bleeds metal from the speakers through and through. “Hearts Of Steel” and “Shockwave” are the two best songs on this record and really dig into the classic RODS sound we’ve been accustomed to. The title track, “Metal Highways,” and “Play It Loud” tie for a close second. I have a sneaky suspicion, though, these last five songs are killer played live.
If I had to deliver a hard criticism about ‘Rattle The Cage’ it might be that THE RODS seem like they’re trying too hard with songs like “Wolves At The Door,” “Cry Out Loud,” and “Can’t Slow Down,” they just didn’t work for me. Otherwise, this record is about as metal as it gets. Go to YouTube and check out the videos for “Rattle The Cage” and “Shockwave” and get primed for the record dropping in early ’24. It’s a buy.
4/5 Stars