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RAVEN – This pioneering band representing the NWOBHM has returned with a very Metal memorable album of 16 songs – Walk Through Fire, (released on March 30, 2010, on Metal Blade Records). Raven has contributed in a huge way, in fueling my Metal exhilaration thus far, this year. Raven provides all the Old School, Heavy Metal that I could have hoped for on Walk Through Fire. Plus, it sounds like Raven really had a Metal ball recording this new album, the energy and excitement of three veteran Metalhead musicians seems to jump out at me. Maybe it’s just my personal Metal interpretation here, still, Raven sounds like they certainly are back in Metal form to my ears.

Just as the 2010 album releases of Krokus, Scorpions, Armored Saintand RATT have blown this lifelong Metalhead into a dizzying Metal tailspin of joy… Raven has done likewise with their new album! Sure, it has been about a decade since Raven has put out an album, (One For All in 2000), only the fact remains… quality Metal is not manufactured like dixie cups… quantity does not hold an upper hand to quality in my Metal world. Walk Through Fire is an album of straight forward, in your face, Heavy Metal that isn’t hiding any surprises of experimentation here… it’s Old School Metal done right.

Having 16 songs to listen to, on this new Raven album, is a fine gesture of Metal giving to the fans. The song Bulldozer, with its infectiously heavy riffs has been super glued into my Metal mind since my first listen. Trainwreck and Grip are two more standout songs that will infiltrate your senses and make you a believer that Raven isn’t about musical intricacies… they are about Metal. Live At The Inferno and Rock Until You Drop are both live songs… and these songs heaviness scream everything great about Raven. Mark Gallagher shreds it on guitar during Rock Until You Drop, his solo tears it apart!

John Gallagher on lead vocals and bass hasn’t lost an ounce of Metal muscle, his vocal highs are simply awesome. Raven covers the Montrose classic – Space Station #5 from their 1973 debut album. In my Metal opinion, John Gallagher does one hell of great job singing this song. He actually sounds a sliver like Sammy Hagar on Space Station #5 too… really. This was a really cool, Hard Rock classic for Raven to cover.

Joe Hasselvander on drums is his usual, explicitly great self on Walk Through Fire. If I was to start a Metal band from scratch and I could choose that one drummer… it would be Joe Hasselvander. This is a drummer that comes across as playing by pure Metal instinct. From the opening Intro to the last two live tracks and everything in-between… this is meat and potatoes Heavy Metal from Raven. Don’t be that Metal dude or dudette who needs to “think about” buying this new Raven album. Buy or at least get your ears into Walk Through Fire soon… for Raven is F’n BACK!

RAVEN ARE:

John Gallagher – vocals, bass guitars

Mark Gallagher – guitars

Joe Hasselvander – drums & percussion

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Walk Through Fire – Track Listing:

Intro

Against The Grain

Breaking You Down

Under Your Radar

Walk Through Fire

Bulldozer

Long Day’s Journey

Trainwreck

Grip

Running Around In Circle’s

Hard Road

Armageddon (The Beginning)

Attitude

Space Station #5

Live At The Inferno

Rock Until You Drop

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* For more info on RAVEN, click on the links below!

http://www.ravenlunatics.com

facebook: Raven

LONG LIVE RAVEN AND THEIR METAL.

Stone.

This entry was posted on April 29, 2010 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums 2010, metal odyssey, new wave of british heavy metal, nwobhm, raven, raven heavy metal band, raven walk through fire album. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.