April is the cruellest month, they say, but not for metal albums. One of the foremost bands in the NWOBHM, and one of the handful still around at this point, Raven released their twelfth album in this month. So has the fire gone out or are they just as hard and “athletic” (as they like to describe themselves) as ever?
ExtermiNation --- Raven --- 2015 (Steamhammer)
Introduction: Although drummers have changed over the forty years Raven have been in existence, the core lineup of the band, in brothers Mark and John Gallagher (yes, two very
different Gallagher brothers!) remains to this day, and they continue to be the driving force behind the band. Even when a wall collapsed on Mark and crushed his legs in 2001, he fought on and even did some gigs in a wheelchair --- now
that's metal! --- before making a full recovery, and the band only took four years off to allow him to recuperate. The album was crowdfunded (seems to be the way things are going these days) and has been hailed as a modern classic.
Track by track
1. Destroy all monsters: Powerful guitar intro with of course the sound of Godzilla and friends in the background, then we're off and running, and it might as well be 1979 again. Sweet. Chorus is bitchin'. Love the shouts of “Exterminate!” too. Powerful, in-your-face ending.
2. Tomorrow: More grinding, fast but not as frenetic as “Destroy all monsters”. John's voice is certainly still in fine shape.
3. It's not what you got: And they just keep rockin'! Bit of a tired idea if I'm honest, and for guys who are now in their fifties it doesn't quite ring true. Still, it's good fun and they obviously have the energy and passion required for such a song.
4. Fight: Kind of doing a Tank/Motorhead hybrid here. Decent song. I like the line “Gonna hear this lion roar!” which perhaps glorifies their British rock credentials in the face of so much American metal, and reminds the young 'uns who started it all. Slows down with considerable menace later in the song, then kicks back up again for the ending. Great shredding from Mark: he's still got it.
5. Battle march/Tank treads (The blood runs red): Speaking of menace, this is loaded with it. Kind of reminds me of Metallica around the
Master of Puppets era.
6. Feeding the monster: You can certainly feel breathless listening to this album. It just doesn't let up even for a second. Another fast, uptempo rocker with a great vocal line from John.
7. Fire burns within: Just a thumping, stomping rock anthem.
8. Scream: Flies along at speed with some great percussion
9. One more day: Yeah, another good rocker but it's kind of sounding all the same to a degree now.
10. Thunder down under: I think this is a tribute to AC/DC. Its okay but nothing too special to be fair. Losing interest a little now.
11. No surrender: Another fast rocker, good shredding, but nothing special.
12. Golden dawn: Okay, finally! Something different. Seems like it might be a ballad, with a nice soft chimy guitar --- no. Just an instrumental, and a very short one at that. Nice though: it breaks up all the hard rockin' headbanging.
13. Silver bullet: And back we go to it. Will this be anything better? No, it's decent but again just straightforward metal. Nothing wrong with that, but nothing to really keep my attention.
14. River of no return: This sounds so much better. Is this an actual ballad? Nice slow kind of moany guitar with an ominous feeling to it. No, this is
really good. Finally. As we reach the end of the album.
15. Malice in Geordieland: This is an extra track. I normally don't do these, but I like the title so will give it a chance. On the basis of most of what I've heard though I don't expect much. Funny Geordie-speak at the beginning, then it becomes another mad rocker. They're singing in that Newcastle accent so there's that. Not half bad. Way-aye man!
Conclusion: I don't know why people say this is the best Raven ever did. I much prefer their earlier material, and I get the impression the Gallaghers are trying to regain their youth and live and play as if they were twenty again. They certainly have the energy and the commitment, but to be perfectly honest, one or two tracks aside, they don't seem to have the songwriting chops to be putting out albums still. Quite disappointed really, and I
liked Raven.