REFUGE, the new band comprised of current and former Rage members Peavy Wagner, Manni Schmidt & Christos Efthimiadis have released "From the Ashes",
the first single taken from the forthcoming debut album, “Solitary Men”.
The album will be released on CD/LP/MP3 on June 8, 2018.
REFUGE marks the reunion of the original, and probably most successful, line-up of the German metal band RAGE, featuring Peavy Wagner, Manni Schmidt, & Christos Efthimiadis. After 1994, when the three originally parted ways, they moved on to work in different bands and follow their own musical path. Peavy kept on with Rage, Manni went to Grave Digger, and Christos off to Tri State Corner. After a long period during which they did not have much contact, the three guys met up again in 2014 and decided to play a secret show in their hometown Herne (Germany), under the moniker “Tres Hombres”. The show was never promoted, apart from word of mouth and social media rumblings and as a result, this show became one where you had to be "in the know", but more than 1200 fans found their way to the gig anyway. The band performed all the hits from their time together in RAGE and loved every second of that gig, getting hungry for more, thus the idea of “REFUGE” was born.
REFUGE played a couple of hugely successful festival shows all throughout Europe in the summer of 2015. The audiences’ reactions to the ‘RAGE' songs of 1988 - 1993’ were truly overwhelming and exceeded all expectations the band had. So, more shows were played in 2016, including three in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka), exactly 20 years after they had played their last shows together, coincidentally also in Japan!
"The band sounds nearly the same like back then, maybe a bit more relaxed, mature, with more individual experience,” tells Peavy Wagner. "But the general vibe is still the same. We know each other blindly. In order to write the songs, we created the same set-up we had 30 years ago. We rented the same rehearsal room and jammed together in a live situation and the magic was back! I'm glad that we could use and finalize some of our ideas from back then, stuff that we couldn´t use in that days for several reasons. The song “Waterfalls”, for example, was always one of my unfinished favourites. I´m proud we were able to bring it to light now, finally!"
What started out as a “fun thing” in 2014 has turned into a real band again. “We want to continue doing this together as long as possible, it is a manifestation of our reborn old friendship and it is a "coming from the heart" thing for us to do it,” concludes Peavy.
Refuge’s debut album, ‘Solitary Men’ is the first album of original material from this classic Rage line-up in 25 years and will surely satisfy fans who remember those now legendary albums! Up the horns for REFUGE!
The German power metal band REFUGE built around heavy metal icon Peter 'Peavy' Wagner has recently signed a record deal with Frontiers Music Srl.
The Herne, Germany based Refuge, which consists of Manni Schmidt (guitars), Christos Efthimiadis (drums) and frontman/bassplayer Peavy Wagner, is the 1987 ' 1994 line up of the German Metal institution Rage. The former Rage members got back together at the end of 2014 under the name Refuge to play the old Rage songs from their time in the band. What started out as a fun project with friends, has since evolved into a very special band.
Refuge guitarist Manni Schmidt says: 'When we played at a number of festivals last summer, we instantly realized that the chemistry was back. The shows worked out great and very naturally, there were ideas for new songs that we wanted to hold, because we liked them so much. Somehow the guys from Frontiers have heard about this and they offered us a deal. Peavy, Efthi and I are very thrilled to say that there will be a record released full of brand new songs by our band REFUGE!'
Frontman Peavy Wagner also points out that releasing a new album with REFUGE won't clash with his other band RAGE: 'REFUGE and RAGE are two different bands now. With REFUGE, we are able to play songs of the old era that have never found their way to a setlist of a RAGE show. REFUGE also consists of different musicians ' except me ' who have different ideas and a different vibe. REFUGE is more like old school. The fans will find out latest when they will hold the new REFUGE album in their hands.' About the signing with Frontiers Music Srl, Peavy says: 'The members of REFUGE are looking very much forward to working with such a renowned label as Frontiers Music Srl. The company's roster is impressive and for all I know, Mario, Serafino and their crew are behind the band to a 100%. I can't wait to start working with them.'
Mario de Riso, Label Manager of Frontiers Music Srl adds: 'We are very happy to welcome REFUGE to our label. Since we are all fans of the 'old' RAGE, we are particularly glad about the fact, that the band with the lineup from back then is a part of the Frontiers family now and we look forward to our future cooperation.'
