SOURCE OF RAGE are a Melodic Groove Metal band (their words) from Hildesheim in Germany and this is their second full-length album (after their first EP in 2015) released on Metalville Records.

After the brief intro of the title track, the first proper track "Eyes Of The Restless" blasts in with a thrash metal intro which then leads into a slower, more melodic groove. It's a ferocious opener with some great lead guitar. The vocals are pretty good though I would have preferred them a bit higher in the mix. The production is crisp and clear though and I really enjoyed this track.

"Purify Me" is also a great track and opens with thrash guitar which settles into a heavy melodic groove. I can see why it's called Melodic Groove Metal as it blends Thrash with Metalcore and both gruff and clean vocals with some great dual vocals in the chorus. An odd but interesting staccato riff slows the song down and a lead guitar plays over some echoed guitar sounds which adds atmosphere. Another great track.

In fact, I really enjoyed the first five tracks with "Construe The Last Word" being the most adventurous. Clocking in at over seven minutes, it starts with an interesting guitar intro paving the way for a heavy and melodic rhythm. The dual vocals are great on the chorus and as the song progresses, there's some gentle vocals over acoustic guitar before going back to the intro and then the chorus and ending on a flurry of blast beats and heavy guitar. It didn't get boring and the overall composition of the song was great.

"Aware" reminded me of SOILWORK with its combination of gruff and clean vocals which is no bad thing at all. There was some great lead guitar and some interesting melodic riffs.

The penultimate track "Solitude Fortitude" has Nu-Metal leanings in the verse but is definitely a head banging track with a melodic chorus reminding me a little of LINKIN PARK. I really enjoyed this track though the final track "Dark Project" sounds positively dull in comparison and was a dull end to what is a very good metal album.

Overall then, this is a very good album which isn't afraid to experiment and isn't a carbon copy of the usual gruff/clean vocals you find in this style of music. The cleans are used sparingly but effectively and the dual harmonies work exceptionally well. The rhythm is tight and you can hear the bass in the mix which makes a change. The riffs are both varied and interesting and I think many of these songs would sound great in a live setting.

I think the test of any album is would you listen to it again and I certainly would, so a thumbs up from me.