Happy Birthday RAGE!!! As promised, here’s the second review of “From The Cradle To The Stage”, brought to you by one of Germany’s longest running Heavy Metal generators. I liked the live CD’s but the DVD is able to do so much more, you can only perceive so much through audio, getting to see how the band sweeps the floor clean with only “feel good” vibrations after the main anniversary show at Bochum makes a Metal fan feel happy, furthermore, it makes me proud of being a part on this worldwide phenomena.

The band’s endurance on the stage is remarkable, this DVD showcases solid proof of their dedication, they sure worked hard for the fans on this night bringing them one RAGE classic after another. Watching the solo performances of Smolski and Terrana fried most of my brain cells. The robust drummer would’ve caused a stir if travelling with a circus team the way ho tosses his sticks while playing the most insane Metal beats. Smolski’s performance? Well, my air guitar is now for sale, I don’t want it any more, it takes serious skills technique and confidence to pull these manoeuvres off with such awesome results, a monster guitar player. All in all, a very good concert, plenty of cameras, good interaction between the band and crowd, great Metal music, it’s all there!!!

The second disc features varied bonus material. First up is the one hour documentary about the ride so far. Peavy, Smolski and Terrana talk about their influences, what makes them tick when writing their music, hobbies (didn’t know Smolski had a talent for car racing), the kind of stuff that takes us fans one step closer to their world, a very good presentation of the band. Coming up after the documentary are two clips from the studio where the band members work their magic as they take on the tunes “Falling From Grace” and “Dies Irae”, which has some very nice looking female choir singers in it, those were some fine choices guys hehe! A third clip shows the making of the anniversary show letting the instrument technicians, light designers and sound engineers brag about their work, thumbs up for them for making it all work so well that night.

Left is the traditional discography feature (guess what’s hidden behind that door), four live songs and eleven RAGE videos. None of the promotional videos succeed in capturing my attention, I’ve never liked these ordinary Metal videos with goofy effects. However, the “Lingua Mortis Medley”, where the band clashes with an orchestra, and the video for “Down” did manage to thrill me for a moment, more up to date if you like.

So, in conclusion, this DVD package is a real treat for fans, there’ll be more than one spin on this baby trust me on that. (Online February 19, 2005)