Description
Rattle Your Cage is the fourth studio album by the American hard rock band Barren Cross, released on Rugged Records in 1994. The album was recorded and mixed by Dino Maddalone at his Dino M III Studios in Torrance, California; and was produced by the band with Maddalone co-producing.
Barren Cross got back together to record a couple of tracks in late ’93 for a compilation album ‘Premium Cuts’ and subsequently went on to record this album (their first for five years). Secular metal mag Kerrang, when reporting on the guys getting back together, said that they “…were probably the best Christian metal band ever” and judging by this album they’re not far wrong. From the opening chords of the first and title track (a song about Christians who complain about this and that but who don’t do anything about it) to the closing track the guys don’t put a foot wrng. Musically it’s pretty heavy but has some radio friendly choruses. Check out «Here I Am», «Midnight Son» and «Time For Love» with its Aerosmith feel to the mellower tracks «No Time To Run» and «Somewhere Far Away» with its superb acoustic guitar. It all adds up to an excellent album that deserves to leapfrog over British Christian bookstores notorious reluctance to stock metal albums and sell by the bushel. Word are to be congratulated for picking up rights to Rugged. [Paul Moore, Cross Rhythms, June 1995]
Retroactive Records Promo
Released in 1994, this album got sandwiched between trendy grunge rock and alternative hipsters that thought “metal” was a dirty word. Metal bands were having the life sucked out of them. “Hairband” was a derogatory term, and stars of the LA Strip scene were treated like an embarrassing drunk uncle. Despite the anti-metal sentiments, Barren Cross defied all odds and put out an epic classic metal/hard rock album on Rugged Records. That label folded and the album went out of print almost as soon as it was released. While their 80s albums were more polished power metal meets LA glam, Rattle Your Cage has a production that is somewhat raw and stripped down. It’s special to hear the band ripping full-throttle bluesy hard rock with an ever so slight 1970s throw back sound reminiscent of Die Happy and Badlands. Though a couple tracks here sound like they could have easily fit on the State of Control era format, expect classic American-styled hard rock featuring one AOR anthem after another. Fully remastered by Bombworks Sound for CD and Vinyl these deluxe reissue are vastly improved with all new artwork by Scott Waters of NoLifeTilMetal. The CD comes with a band foil-stamped trading card and the 180 Gram Vinyl record comes with a 12×12 full color lyrics insert. For fans of Great White, Cinderella, Giant, and Black Stone Cherry, Kiss, and especially Guns N’ Roses!
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/rattle-your-cage-2013-remastered/1739538194)
CD tracklist:
01. Rattle Your Cage – 4:19
02. Here I Am – 3:29
03. Unsuspecting – 3:57
04. No Time To Run – 3:35
05. Sick – 3:27
06. Somewhere Far Away – 2:52
07. Feed The Fire – 3:37
08. Let It Go Let It Die – 4:49
09. Time For Love – 3:10
10. J.R.M – 3:52
11. Your Will – 3:47
12. Midnight Son – 5:19
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Rugged Records. Remastered by Rob Colwell of Bombworks Sound and re-issued on both CD and 12-inch 180g black vinyl LP by Retroactive Records in 2021, featuring new cover artwork.
Rattle Your Cage, Retroactive Records Vinyl Edition, 2021
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