History & Biography Formed from the ashes of Crusher and Nomad in San Diego, Cage has been delivering heavy metal since 1992. The band played to a local crowd and opened for the likes of Dokken and Judas Priest. With a new drummer in tow, Cage recorded Unveiled and won the award for best unsigned band from Germany's Rock Hard. The prize was a trip to Holland and a spot at the Eindhoven Festival. Following the performance the band signed for a re-release of Unveiled via Omega Records.
With the departure of guitarist Eric Horton, Eden's Tim Thomas filled in for a few shows until a permanent replacement called Anthony Wayne MacGinnis was found. The band's second European show was playing Wacken Festival in Germany!
The Californians next signed to Massacre records. Darker Than Black was released in the spring of 2003. Joe Floyd of Warrior and Richard Carr produced it. The band also played the BW&BK Festival in Cleveland in the spring. The band’s Sean Peck was in a dust-up with Blaze Bayley in 2004 after the former Iron Maiden singer decided to exercise free speech and criticize George W. Bush. Nothing like showing America is not an aggressor and violent by beating someone up.
The group signed a deal with the new label Destroy All Records Entertainment for North America in 2007. The band’s fourth CD, Hell Destroyer, was out soon thereafter. The album was licensed to MTM for Europe. The group parted ways with drummer Mikey Neil and was seeking a replacement in the summer of 2007. Drummer Norm Leggio, formerly of Psychotic Waltz, joined in October. The band soon issued a DVD called Live In Switzerland. American white metal band Cage released its latest album, Science Of Annihilation, on May 22nd independently through Music Buy Mail. Founding bassist Mike Giordano and lead guitarist Anthony Wayne McGinn exited Cage in 2010, with Mike departing due to medical reasons and Anthony for family reasons. Replacing Mike was bassist Steve Brogden who was the lead guitarist/vocalist for the thrash metal band Howler. Replacing Anthony was lead guitarist Garrett Peters of the death metal band Climhazzard and punk metal band Sayaka. Cage released its next album, Supremacy Of Steel, on November 25th, 2011 through Music Buy Mail. Right-wing Cage singer Sean Peck joined former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley on stage on November 13th at Brick By Brick club in San Diego, California to sing the Iron Maiden song Man On The Edge. Peck had exercised thuggery with Bayley in 2004 when the latter criticized George W. Bush during a live performance.
In 2013, Sean Peck and Dave Garcia of Cage recruited three new members. Monument guitarist Casey Tras, drummer Sean Elg of Nihilist and bassist Dwight Magic of Detonated were in. The band was working on a new album, which became the Ancient Evil demo. Garcia had a solo album. Cage was touring the Middle East and Europe venturing to Cyprus, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal and France in 2017. Peck had another project in 2018. This one was called The Three Tremors.
Science Of Annihilation: Re-Annihilated was a re-recording with current drummer Sean Elg. Self-cover versions were all the rage and trends had to be followed. The band covered itself and also played several shows in Europe. The band announced a new album would be released in late 2021 or early 2022. The said release - which was tentatively called Dungeon Crawler - materialized like Saddam's weapons of mass destruction Bush and co. had promised. Bassist Alex Pickard was off to join the US army. The band toured as opener for Tim Ripper Owens in Texas in 2024.
Reviews CAGE - DARKER THAN BLACK - FUGITIVE
As much as Cage's third album is a respectable and authentic contribution to the US metal legacy, all the accolades and superlatives accorded the band have gotten out of hand. Cage is a good heavy metal band which follows in the path of bands like Omen, Sanctuary and Eden. Be that as it may, the band needs to uncage its attack and stop being coy about its abilities. A drum roll here, a ripping solo there, an intense riff extra would go a long way towards unhinging the bars standing in the quintet's way. Yes, Cage has a solid sound and the occasional exciting riff and superb lead, but compared with albums like Judas Priest's Painkiller or Sanctuary's Refuge Denied, Darker Than Black is a just a shade of gray.
Another point in need of discussion is the band's lyrics. Initially the idea was to ignore the band's Christian lyrics and instead focus on the interesting topics as well as the in-depth nature of the lyricism. That is, until one gets to album closer (well there is the fifty extra tracks tagged to the end of the album which we will ignore) Forces Of Freedom. "God bless the US of A... from the skies we will come then we'll take to the ground and do what must be done" sings the band. Name one country that has taken away as much freedom from the innocent and downtrodden as the US of A and this writer will personally point out the place Jesus has shacked up awaiting his day of return.
If Cage can maintain its respect and focus for genuine heavy metal and step outside the box both musically and lyrically next time around then the knights at Metallian Towers can surely revisit the issue. Until then, Darker Than Black is nowhere near as good as the reviewers would like us to believe. - Ali "The Metallian"
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