Rating: 7/10
Label: Frontiers 2012
Review by: Urban "Wally" Wallstrom
It's always nice to hear a new album with the former Black Sabbath vocalist Tony Martin. We (RockUnited.com) have been interviewing and reviewing the headless cross resident on several occasions over the years. The Third Cage - as the title suggest, the third album in a series of 'Cage' albums: featuring Italian guitarist Dario Mollo. Well, this actually started out as his project, however, their latest offering to the metal Gods is a darker heavier effort than previous attempts at world domination.
Opening track, "Wicked World", reading the lyrics, I'd say it deals with the old colonial view of the so called civilized countries vs. the third world. At least I hope so, since it's otherwise a rather disturbing agenda which could backfire at any moment really. Some modern influences music-wise and not far off from the sound of the Iommi/Hughes project. "Cirque Du Freak" and "Oh My Soul", rides on the late eighties wave of Sabbath and obviously the Tony Martin era. Both are big time old skool metal and the latter will vaguely remind you of Blackmore and his old bands (Rainbow, Deep Purple). "One Of The Few", melodic hardrock with a rather catchy refrain and the old eighties tapping technique works out nicely in the end.
Another favourite track, "Wardance", holds lyrics in the warhammer fantasy tradition that goes and I quote, "To the dead in their soldiers graves, we march the legions, dance of the brave", end quote. Final verdict: The Third Cage - obviously a gathering and meeting place for a degenerate band and various old hardrock and metal fans. It is perhaps quite empty of new ideas at the moment, but many signs of use is evidence. It's a solid piece of work and you could do a lot worse, and better for that matter, than picking up the torch of late eighties Sabbath.
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