Fast-rising UK band The Raven Age, who recently toured with thrash legends Anthrax, shot into the public consciousness with their self-titled debut EP released back in 2014. Amassing in excess of 2 million streams, the band have shared stages with the likes of Iron Maiden, Gojira, Mastadon and Opeth and signed to BMG records for the release of their hotly anticipated debut album, ‘Darkness will rise’. Formed in 2009 and bonded around a shared love of metalcore, The Raven Age came to life when guitarists Dan Wright and George Harris were introduced and the band quickly worked on developing their own musical identity, one that mixed a love of bruising metallic riffs and soaring film scores to create something bold and grand in scope.
The band open their debut with a bravely orchestral number. Swirling strings and lightly processed vocals (from mercurial singer Michael Burrough) swirl around the listener building an air of mystery before the chunky riff of ‘promised land’ emerges over the thunderous drums of Jai Patel. It’s a huge sound that producer Matt Hyde has coaxed out of the band, recalling the melodic metal of Trivium and rendering the band’s memorable hooks with real depth. With elastic riffs courtesy of Dan and George, ‘Age of the Raven’ is a powerhouse metal anthem and it’s easy to imagine audiences the world over singing this one back to the band thanks to its blend of vivid imagery and a deceptively simple melody that lodges itself firmly in the brain. Fading in, ‘The death march’ once again has that super-heavy Trivium vibe whilst Michael keeps the vocals clean, offering rich harmonies where most bands would be tempted to slip into harrowing screams with the result that the band avoid the pitfalls of so much metalcore where the relentless verse-chorus-verse juxtaposition of the vocals has almost became a mantra within the genre. Huge swathes of synth melody lie under the song, adding atmosphere and once again referencing the grandiloquent film scores for which the band profess a love. It’s well done and yet the band deftly allow the solos to scar the surface of the track with real bite. ‘Salem’s fate’, referencing the oft-recounted witch trials of that unhappy town, is a slower-paced track with a Maiden feel. Few bands seem to incorporate lengthy stories these days and Michael’s lyrics capture a round-the-fire vibe where friends gather to tell tales of a long-lost age. As impressive as the album’s opening barrage is, this is the moment where the Raven Age really start to come into their own, drawing together a wide range of influences and running with them in ways that are often unexpected. Heading back to heavier pastures, ‘The merciful one’ is shorter and sharper than its lengthy predecessor and it packs a powerful punch. However, better still is the relentless ‘eye among the blind’ which utilises thrash architecture to deliver a crushing blow right at the conclusion of the album’s first half.
Opening the second half of the album on a reflective note, ‘Winds of change’ (happily not a Scorpions’ cover) is a slow-building showcase for Michael’s vocal skills before the dark, doom-laden riff of ‘trapped within the shadows’ serves to scatter the faint of heart with its brutally distorted layers of guitar heading into a devilish groove complete with minor-key melodies and taut percussion. Echoing in the half-light, ‘my revenge’ emerges from an atmospheric and harrowing intro to become the album’s heaviest track although the band can’t resist weaving a monumental chorus into the mix. Acoustic strings scrape at the outset of ‘the dying embers of life’, a surprisingly lovely piece of music that sees the band eschew sonic firepower for a newfound vulnerability that plays beautifully to their melodic strengths. The track builds nicely, with the band reintroduced on the chorus and the deft shifts add a touch of light and shade to proceedings whilst simultaneously demonstrating the band’s instrumental prowess. With the end of the album looming large the band kick out a heavy number to keep energy levels from flagging. With a nice grinding riff, ‘angel in disgrace’ is a sure-fire mosh-pit pleaser with its harmonised guitar and double-kick assault before ‘behind the mask’ brings the album to an epic conclusion. Kicking off with a huge, elastic riff backed by airy synths, the track sees Michael delivering his grittiest performance yet, which seems appropriate for the album’s climactic track. At eight minutes in length, it gives the band plenty of opportunity to explore the various elements of their sound and it says much of their confidence (and ability) that they felt comfortable to close their debut with so ambitious a song.
At seventy-four minutes in length, ‘Darkness will rise’ pushes the very limits of a single CD but, thanks to a varied approach, the album rarely sees interest levels drop. Whilst there are those who will bemoan the lack of a harsh vocal, it’s refreshing to hear a band delivering heavy riffs whilst keeping the vocals firmly on the melodic side and there’s no sense that the songs are any the less powerful for taking this approach. Michael has a fine voice and it’s multi-tracked here for depth, his rich clean tones soaring over the mix despite the ferocious riffing deployed by guitarists Dan and George. Despite bonding over a love of metalcore, The Raven Age draw on a wide range of influences and elements of classic metal in the vein of Maiden and Priest abound, and the tastefully applied synths add atmospheric depth too, with the result that the band feels suitably different from anything else out there at the moment. Hugely enjoyable, ‘Darkness will rise’ is an immensely promising debut from this hotly-tipped UK band and comes highly recommended. 8
