The Crow
Victor Smolski's influence on the music of Rage reached one of its higher points on this record!
Since his classical training and his taste for progressive metal materialized in a very evident way in the first half of the album, which is a 21-minute suite of the best symphonic-progressive metal imaginable. If you like this style, it's an absolute must listen.
In addition, sometimes the album brings back the Rage style that we already enjoyed on albums like "XIII" and "Ghosts" but with an extra touch of aggression and virtuosic playing, and it's something that after three more straight forwarded metal albums, is quite refreshing.
The second half of the album is more conventional and continues the style of the previous "Soundchaser", which is not bad at all either.
In addition, this album marked the farewell to the great trio made up of Terrana, Smolski and Wagner, closing one of the most brilliant stages of the band in a very satisfactory way.
Because in the music is what really matters here, and in that aspect "Speak of the Dead" was a triumph!
Best Tracks: Suite Lingua Mortis (strong influences of Symphony X and Savatage), No Fear (great song in the vein of "Soundchaser") and Sole Survivor (the chorus is an anthem)
My Rating: ****