Headline News

Split By Peavy Wager And Victor Smolski Announced By Rage

Legendary German power thrash act Rage just announced the end of the current era of the band. After 15 years, the age of founding member Peavy Wagner and guitar/composer virtuoso Victor Smolski - which began with "Welcome of the Other Side" in 2001 - has come to an end.

A statement on the band's Facebook page reads: "Hi Rageheads, After thinking it over carefully, Peavy and Victor decided to stop working together in the future. This is due to musical and personal changes. We have developed in different directions in the last years that much, that we cannot identify with the current band situation anymore. In this situation we will also part from drummer André Hilgers.

"The last 15 years were blessed with many Highlights and great releases but this era is over now. Every extension would be untrue to ourselves and to our fans.

"We wish each other all the best! Thanx to all the fans for your trust and support!

'Peavy & Victor, Feb 2015"

Recently, Wagner joined forces with old bandmates guitarist Manni Schmidt and drummer Chris Efthimiadis to form Refuge - a tribute to the classic era of Rage when albums like "Perfect Man," "Trapped" and "The Missing Link" were released.

The band played its first official performance on board 70,000 Tons of Metal last week. There is no indication as to whether the current lineup of Refuge will assume as Rage, as that project is still considered to be a fun side project of friends playing classic Rage material in a live setting.

More information is expected soon.