Formed in 1992 from the remains of local bands Nomad and Crusher at the height of the alternative rock boom, San Diego's Cage toiled in obscurity for most of the '90s, while patiently awaiting for heavy metal to come back into vogue. Featuring vocalist Sean Peck, guitarists Eric Horton and Dave Garcia, bassist Mike Giordano, and drummer Mikey Niel, the band finally made an impact in Europe with their 1998 Unveiled demo, which earned them Top Unsigned Band honors from Germany's highly respected Rock Hard magazine, and led to a slot at that year's prestigious Dynamo Open Air Festival. Officially released by Omega Records the following year, the album set the stage for a new deal with WWIII Records and 2001's ambitious power metal concept piece Astrology. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia