When I first listened to THE SILENT RAGE's self-titled EP I knew nothing of the band aside from a recommendation from a fellow staff member and the fact that they were from Greece. Boy, am I glad that I got to listen to them, but a little background is necessary first.

THE SILENT RAGE was formed in 2006 and quickly released a demo. Since then, they have solidified their lineup and this EP serves as an introduction to their forthcoming full-length, Inner Scars.

In the biography that came with the EP, THE SILENT RAGE was described as Melodic Power Metal with Progressive elements. Many bands are described this way and not only do their sounds vary greatly, many of them also suck. The first minute of Perished in Flames was all it took to rid me of that notion. I was totally floored throughout the song and into Leading the Legions and Wings of Tragedy. This is not your typical flower Metal garbage. This is influenced far more by Painkiller than anything SONATA ARCTICA ever put out. And that is definitely a good thing. I would classify this as pure Speed Metal, progressive elements be damned. I think I can speak for most metalheads when I say that this fast and heavy music is more strongly desired than snore-inducing pop-Metal.

For those that need an in-depth description, imagine, if you will, a band whose sound recalls the great Speed Metal of the 80's like LIEGE LORD, AGENT STEEL, early METAL CHURCH and of course, JUDAS PRIEST's Painkiller. Take that sound and imagine modern Geddy Lee on vocals. Intriguing? Don't even make too much of the previous description, it is merely there to whet the appetite and nothing more. This isn't some clone band that copies their influences.

Sure, this is only an EP, but I'm looking forward to the full-length. I hope that this EP convinces a label to give this band a chance because I know that with the right promotion, THE SILENT RAGE can become very successful in the world of metal. The only reason that the grade is not higher is because this is only an EP; I eagerly anticipate the full-length.