RAVEN
“Leave ‘Em Bleeding”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Raven are a heavy metal band from the UK, formed in 1974 by the Gallagher brothers John and Mark. The bands first three albums ‘Rock Until You Drop’ (1981), ‘Wiped Out’ (1982) and ‘All For One’ (1983) are quintessential listening, and pivotal in the evolution of the burgeoning NWOBHM movement. Bands such as Angel Witch, Saxon, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden were all at the forefront of the NWOBHM along with Raven, and all these bands are still performing today!

Raven have released fifteen studio albums in a career spanning four decades, along with numerous singles, E.P.’s, compilations and live albums – with the bands 2019 ‘Screaming Murder Death From Above: Live In Aalborg’ live album showcasing Raven at their devastating best, delivering a captivating one hour of energetic “foot on the monitor” style, traditional heavy metal. The bands latest release ‘Leave ‘Em Bleeding’ (2022) features the best of the past seven years, covering the two albums ‘ExtermiNation’ (2015), and ‘Metal City’ (2020), plus some red hot bonus songs – more on those later!

Of the five song “best of the past seven years” section of ‘Leave ‘Em Bleeding’, the first three are from ‘Metal City’ – ‘Top Of The Mountain’, is a classic sounding Raven rampage, the band capturing the vibe of the early eighties perfectly, while ‘Metal City’ is delivered at a slower pace and tempo, but my God the heaviness! And finally ‘The Power’, rocketing forth at phenomenal speed – the blistering pace lightning quick, the old school “foot on the monitor” style as emphatic as it has ever been.

The next two songs are taken from ‘ExtermiNation’ – the six minutes plus ‘Destroy All Monsters’ hits you with everything the NWOBHM stands for…pace, power, and an immense level of melodic intent. Infectious and highly head bang-able, ‘Destroy All Monsters’ is traditional heavy metal at its finest. But then, this is Raven, one of the finest heavy metal bands ever! ‘Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)’ is more mid tempo, but boy is it heavy. The tempo has a sinister edge, the song moving forward with thunder and pace changes aplenty.

And to the bonus section – seven cracking songs that capture Raven in all kinds of moods! First up is a live version of an all time Raven classic – ‘Crash Bang Wallop’, taken from the bands 2019 live album ‘Screaming Murder Death From Above: Live In Aalborg’. And then comes a very poignant song for the band – ‘Necessary Evil’ one of the first three Raven songs after Mark Gallagher’s serious accident in 2001. Although the band was back on stage a mere two years later, it wasn’t until 2009 that they could start working on their comeback album ‘Walk Through Fire’ which featured ‘Necessary Evil’ as its spectacular finale.

The band then deliver two cover songs – ‘Space Station #5’ by American hard rock band Montrose, taken from the bands 1973 self titled debut album (featuring future Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar). The second cover is an absolute classic – ‘Bad Reputation’ by Irish rock band Thin Lizzy, taken from the bands eighth studio album ‘Bad Reputation’. Raven are in exuberant mood for ‘Malice In Geordieland’, a superb outtake from the recording sessions for ‘ExtermiNation’.

The last two songs showcase Raven at their live best – ‘Rock This Town’ a live studio recording from 2018 that is just too powerful to have sit in a drawer collecting dust (says the band), and was released as a single prior to the release of ‘Leave ‘Em Bleeding’. The final song, is the title song from the bands 1985 studio album ‘Stay Hard’, recorded live in 2017 at The Vanguard in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by a club employee who then gave the recording to the band.

Overall, a perfect summation of Raven from the last seven years, showcasing the bands current mood and performance prowess.

TRACKLIST

Top Of The Mountain
Metal City
The Power
Destroy All Monsters
Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)
Crash Bang Wallop (live)
Necessary Evil
Space Station #5
Malice In Geordieland
Bad Reputation
Rock This Town
Stay Hard (live)

http://www.ravenlunatics.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ravenbandofficial/

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