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Damned and Cursed: PowerRage - Beast (EP Review) Release: 4/24/26

 

When John Ricci does something, he does it on his own terms. The legendary guitarist, best known as the driving force behind Canadian speed metal icons Exciter, has resurfaced with a brand-new project, and he's wasting no time making clear that this isn't a nostalgia trip. PowerRage is its own beast entirely (pun very much intended). Assembled around Ricci's trademark riff-first approach, the band features a lineup with some serious pedigree. Bassist Todd Pilon brings experience from Witchkiller, drummer Lucas Dery locks in the rhythm section, and vocalist Jacques Bélanger, a familiar face to Exciter fans from his work on The Dark Command, Blood of Tyrants, and New Testament, proves he hasn't lost a step. His voice is a natural fit for this kind of raw, uncompromising metal, bringing grit and conviction without leaning on past glories.

And make no mistake, Ricci means it when he says he wrote everything from scratch. No recycled riffs, no comfort-zone retreads. All eight tracks are newly forged, and the material hits with a satisfying bluntness. Opener "Dark Wings" sets the tone immediately: heavy, direct, and utterly uninterested in polish. "Haunted Hell" and "Cremation Damnation" keep the pressure on, while "I Torture I Kill" introduces an almost punky looseness that adds welcome variety to the tracklist. Darker, more atmospheric cuts like "The Black Mass" and "Damned and Cursed" round out an EP that will appeal to anyone raised on Exciter, Razor, and the rawer end of early speed metal.

It covers more ground than its lean runtime might suggest. What's refreshing about Beast is that it doesn't feel like a veteran hedging his bets. Ricci sounds energized, liberated, even. Starting from zero after decades of success in another band is genuinely difficult, and the EP wears that ambition proudly. There's a rawness here that feels intentional rather than unfinished, a reminder that great metal has always been about conviction over perfection. Beast is a promising debut that plants PowerRage's flag firmly in old-school heavy metal territory while still feeling like something new. If 2026 is the year Ricci gets back in the conversation, this is a strong opening statement.

Check their track Dark Wings:

Go follow them on Facebook: PowerRage
Check out my interview with PowerRage here: PowerRage - Interview
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