Rage - XIII (1998)

Rage had been starting to get into a rut, so for this album, they did two notable things - they slowed the tempo down somewhat, and they brought in an orchestra.  And both are successful.
Although Peavy Wagner sounds too much like Metallica's James Hetfield for some reason, this is an excellent release, with the songs offering plenty of melodic interest, and the orchestra combining very well for some beautiful passages, particularly in the three-part "Changes". It can't quite sustain the quality to the very end (I'm not sure what to think of the cover of The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black"), but this certainly remains one of Rage's best albums.

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