RAGE OF LIGHT
“Opaque”
E.P. Review by Iron Mathew

9/10

Rage Of Light are a melodic death metal band from Switzerland formed in 2015, to date releasing two albums – ‘Imploder’ (2019) and ‘Redemption’ (2021), and two E.P.’s – ‘Chasing A Reflection’ (2016) and ‘Opaque’ (2023).

Founded by Jonathan Pellet (Trophallaxy, Dysrider), Rage Of Light, while labelled a melodic death metal band, are actually leaders in the realm of electro-trance metal, and have been innovators within the genre for over a decade! The bands original vocalist Melissa Bonny (Ad Infinitum) left in 2021, replaced by former Ascend The Hollow singer Martyna Halas for the bands sophomore album ‘Redemption’. And since its release, Rage Of Light have released an amazing four singles, including an incredible cover of ‘Running Up That Hill’ (taken from the fifth album ‘Hounds Of Love’ (1985) by British singer, songwriter and dancer Kate Bush).

And keeping the momentum rolling like four kilograms of Double Gloucester down Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire (England), the band release the four song E.P. ‘Opaque’ – twenty minutes of the bands unique mix of electro-trance and melodic death metal! ‘Upriser’ gets the E.P. underway with a crescendo crushing myriad of styles from heavy metal to melodic death and the bands unique fusion of electro-trance, featuring vocals that switch from clean and powerful to gruff and growled. Rage Of Light are a bit of an enigma, the bands sound as enigmatic as it is enticing, fans of many different genres drawn to the Swiss outfit’s soundscape!

A soundscape that really is difficult to describe – the more I repeatedly listen to the E.P. the more and more different things I hear! With a heavier feel and a higher tempo, ‘Touch And Destroy’ ups the intensity, the vocals again switching from clean symphonic-like to ferocious growls and howls – the range of singer Halas, a very wide one indeed! The mood and atmosphere of the E.P. varies greatly, from uplifting to energetic to dark and desperate – the E.P. cruising into a bludgeoning blend of industrial-esque Fear Factory and angelic breaks that send ‘The Scent Of Dead Leaves’ soaring into the realm of symphonic metal. And beyond! And as ‘The Scent Of Dead Leaves’ progresses, the bands innovative nature brings electro-trance metal to the fore, pounding hard with devastating power and a fierce vocal delivery.

The four songs on offer are nothing like anything I’ve heard before – well, maybe, but only just one song. And that was from a power metal band having fun mixing thumping nineties Ibiza dance music with their root metal sound – the band Frozen Land, the song ‘Senorita’ from the bands second album ‘Out Of The Dark’. But where Rage Of Light differ, and quite frankly excel, standing head and shoulders above everyone else, is their innovation and immense ability to create unconventional orchestrations, out of the ordinary passages and unexpected movements that sees the bands music feature more twists and turns than the worlds biggest roller coasters!

And bringing the E.P. to a close, is the eight and a half minute long title song ‘Opaque’ – the opening atmosphere and tension building to a crescendo courtesy of dramatic keyboards (maybe it’s a piano) and the story telling vocals of singer Halas growing tenser with every line she sings until the band launch into a heavy symphonic thunder encapsulating everything Rage Of Light have in their locker. A locker that’s crammed full with impressive ideas and tremendous thoughts that I – and millions of others – could never dream of. Even if I had an entire millennia to think, I’d still come up empty!

Overall, a varied and engaging E.P. featuring incredibly intricate twists and turns through a myriad of musical styles.

TRACKLIST

Upriser
Touch And Destroy
The Scent Of Dead Leaves
Opaque

https://www.rageoflight.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rageoflight

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