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Excess All Areas

      
         
         
         
     
             
Black Cage are a hard rock band from Austria, formed in 2015, releasing their debut E.P. 'Let's Party' the same year. The bands first full length album, 'Excess All Areas' was released in 2017.    
             
With an album title 'Excess All Areas' and an opening song title '666', the expectation is of heavy metal with an evil side...instead, what you get is infectious pop rock with a very powerful vocal performance. This is an album that will appeal to Bon Jovi, Paramore and (eighties) Poison fans as each song touches the glam, sleaze and pop rock genres. The opening song '666' is up tempo and catchy with an abrasive guitar sound, and in lead singer Kati Cher, a vocalist with an amazing range. 'Comin' Home' slows the albums pace to power ballad territory and it's time to raise your lighters high and sway from side to side, and not for the last time before the album ends... 'Here For You' is more up tempo with an injection of energy and is a good old fashioned rock song, 'I'm On Fire' has a buzzing guitar sound and a foot tapping rhythm, with 'Intoxication' a slower, moodier and grunge fuelled song.    
             
The glam rock genre from the eighties was one that had bands such as Motley Crue, Poison, Faster Pussycat and Ratt all strutting their stuff with an energetic and raucous delivery, which unfortunately are two characteristics that Black Cage are lacking in. The album has settled into a mid tempo soft rock affair, and then suddenly, with a whizz, bang and a poof...just like an exploding firework, the album kicks into life with 'Love Sex And Rock And Roll'. The explosion of energy is intense and suddenly you feel like "the party has started". 'Spotlight' is an entertaining and catchy song that invokes a Southern Rock swagger as the blues edged guitars chug relentlessly.    
             
The album isn't a bad album by a long shot, it's just that from the imagery, album and some song titles, I was just expecting a bit more of a bombastic and energetic journey. Lighters out again as the acoustics led 'Miles' slides in and swishes on its way. A much more soulful vocal performance by Kati, reigning in her amazing range. Evoking memories of 'Something To Believe In' era Poison, the album turns mellow again with 'Set You Free' ambling along at a slow pace, lighters still held high. As the album comes to a close with 'Wild Ones', the feeling, or maybe the question, of which genre do you actually drop Black Cage into is brought to the fore. The band claim modern glam rock, although the album has wandered into the soft rock genre, the blues, Southern Rock and pop...'Wild Ones' does end the album in a foot tappingly addictive fashion.    
             
Overall, an album of more pop rock than glam rock, it is a mix of good old fashioned rock and roll, soft rock with the odd party anthem thrown in.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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