Refuge
Rage is a German heavy metal band formed in 1984 by Peter "Peavy" Wagner. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene that emerged in the early to mid-1980s and are considered part of the scene's "big four," alongside Grave Digger, Helloween, and Running Wild.
Rage was formed in 1984 under the name Avenger. After releasing their debut album Prayers of Steel and the Depraved to Black EP in 1985, the band changed their name to Rage due to the existence of another band in England with the same name. Over the years, 17 musicians have been part of Rage, with the most successful lineup emerging during the period now known as the Refuge years, featuring Manni Schmidt and Chris Efthimiadis. The second notable lineup included Mike Terrana and Victor Smolski.
Throughout their career, Rage has established themselves as a notably successful band and a pioneer of the power metal scene, incorporating elements of progressive metal and classical music into their work. In 1996, Rage became one of the first metal bands to write and record an album featuring a full symphonic orchestra: Lingua Mortis.
As of 2025, Rage have released 27 main studio albums (not counting the "Refuge" and "LMO" side projects) over their 40-year career, totaling more than 50 releases when including DVDs, EPs, Japanese editions, and VHS. They have achieved international success, selling over five million records and earning more than 40 entries on music charts.
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