Review | The Rods – Rattle The Cage

Massacre Records

The year 2024 has started and the first conclusion after hearing the latest record by New York trio The Rods is that nothing has changed in their musical environment. Drummer Carl Canedy, guitarist/vocalist David ‘Rock’ Feinstein and bass player Freddy Villano are staying true to their colours. Dressed in black they are sticking with their simple, hard, and heavy metal approach. Scorching guitars, thunderous drums and bass patterns mixed in very prominently in their staccato straight forward sound.

THE RODS – METAL ALL THE WAY

The ten songs on ‘Rattle The Cage’ are metal all the way. From opener ,,Now And Forever’’ (with some keyboards nicely woven in the song pattern) to closer ,,Hearts Of Steel’’ The Rods pay tribute to classic heavy metal, the only style they adore. Look at their musical history that started in the eighties and tell me if they have made even one album where they were not themselves. I bet you cannot find one in their discography. These boys stick to their guns.

MONOTONOUS

There is no escaping from the fact that these days the music that The Rods produce is for the happy few. Because of the monotonous voice of Feinstein and the one-sided style of the band only the true blue metal fan will be able to appreciate songs such as ,,Hell Or High Water’’, ,,Hearts Of Steel’’, ,,Play It Loud’’ or ,,Rattle The Cage’’. The lyrics are slightly rebellious while the music just kicks like a stubborn mule. I have always liked The Rods and although their heydays were in the eighties the trio still has something to say all these years later. They know they are not going to conquer the world with ‘Rattle The Cage’. But for good, honest traditional heavy metal there is always some room left, even in 2024! As my dear colleague Martien Koolen would say: PLAY IT LOUD!

Release date: 19 January 2024