The Newcastle heavy metal pioneers Raven have just released their electrifying new album, “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” via Silver Lining Music. This marks the band’s 15th studio album. The band, formed by the Gallagher brothers, John on bass and vocals and Mark on guitar, is completed by drummer extraordinaire Mike Heller. The album was recorded at Heller’s Heaven And Heller Studios in Los Angeles.
What Worked
While fellow New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands leaned more toward hard and progressive rock, Raven’s sped-up metal brand influenced the early 80s thrash and speed metal bands. Over forty years later, the band shows no sign of slowing down, figuratively and literally. Opening with the blistering “Medieval,” the pedal is full to the metal on “All Hell’s Breaking Loose.” Throughout the record, the speed goes from fast to nearly out of control, like on the manic “Turn Of The Screw” with its staccato chord progression and off-kilter rhythm. On the other hand, the final track of the album, “Go For The Gold,” is incredibly fast-paced and would likely cause most digital drums to overheat from exhaustion. This only emphasizes the remarkable skill of the Gallagher brothers and Heller on drums.
What Didn’t Work
Occasionally, a riff or melody may sound familiar, but that’s to be expected for a band that’s written so much material in a genre with plenty of imitators mining for the same gold. Luckily, the Gallaghers keep the songs tight and focused, never meandering into plodding extended sections or over-indulgent tangents.
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