Label: BMG
Review by Martien Koolen
I saw/heard The Raven Age last year, as this exciting new metal act from London opened the show for Iron Maiden in Arnhem, The Netherlands. I was really impressed with their short live set and now a couple of months later, The Raven Age release their debut album called Darkness Will Rise. The Raven Age, hailing from all corners of my favourite city, being London of course, consists of: George Harris (guitar, yes and he is the son of Iron Maiden founder Steve harris), Dan Wright (guitar), Matt Cox (bass guitar), Michael Burrough (vocals) and Jai Patel (drums).
Darkness Will Rise contains 13 tracks and none of them is a filler, as this album rocks from the opening track Darkness Will Rise till the last song called Behind The Mask. All tracks feature excellent, addictive, heavy riffs and after a couple of tracks I cannot help myself as to compare these guys with the American rockers from Pop Evil. The Raven Age sound heavy, epic, dynamic, dramatic, but most of all very melodic and really catchy as well.
Highlights are the longer tracks like The Merciful One, Eye Among The Blind, The Dying Embers Of Life and Behind The Mask; especially the diversity in these songs, loud and heavy passages and melodic softer passages add extra dimensions to these blockbusters. Vocalist Burrough really sings his ass off and he especially shines in Winds Of Change, My Revenge and Salem's Fate. The Raven Age also released a video (check it out at: www.metalfan.nl/article.php?sid=15655) from Salem's Fate and it is of course based on the notorious witches trials in Salem in 1692.
This amazing debut of The Raven Age is an album filled with melodic,powerful metal and it is even heavier than Iron Maiden... The songs are overloaded with great melodies and producer Matt Hyde (Slipknot, Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine) did an excellent job, making Darkness Will Rise an excellent blend of really heavy music with powerful melodic vocals. The Raven Age are a band to watch out for in the future; so check them out and play the album at maximum volume!!! Enjoy...
theravenage.org/
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