By Andrew Bansal
Over the past four decades, Americanized British old-school heavy metal cult legends Raven have carried themselves through thick and thin with unmatchable determination, drive and passion, fully embodying their self-created ‘rock until you drop’ ethos. But equally importantly, the trio of John Gallagher (vocals & bass), Mark Gallagher (guitar) and Joe Hasselvander (drums) have continually nurtured their creative abilities that have enabled them to stay relevant in the modern-day, wherein countless bands exist and an endless plethora of music is available at the click of a button. Six years after the release of their 2009 effort ‘Walk Through Fire’, Raven are ready with their thirteenth full-length studio album ‘ExtermiNation’, funded via a Kickstarter campaign and set to be unleashed to masses worldwide in late April 2015.
Raven’s confidence in their new material is evident from the fact that they’ve included as many as fifteen tracks to build this hearty slab of all things heavy and traditional. Upon listening to the album, it’s instantly clear that this confidence is not unfounded. Hard-hitters like ‘Destroy All Monsters’ and ‘Tomorrow’ provide a solid opening, followed by the thoroughly enjoyable “It’s Not What You Got” which was deservedly a crowd favorite when Raven played it on their 40th anniversary world tour in 2014. These three tracks are strong enought to pull the listener in for the entire album, and beyond this point, ExtermiNation only goes from strength to strength, with one well-crafted tune after another. There are no clear favorite tracks to be picked, as this is well and truly an album lover’s album.
While this set of recordings does capture the band’s incredible on-stage energy which they still possess in plenty even at their age, ExtermiNation also simultaneously exudes a vibe that puts greater focus on the trio’s actual musicianship. The production quality also plays its role in this aspect, and the listener is able to absorb all elements of the music in full. The songwriting is exemplary for this style of metal, and the performance is highly appreciable as John Gallagher continues to hit all the notes, brother Mark nails down some crispy riffs and ripping solos, and Joe Hasselvander dictates the rhythm with ease.
ExtermiNation is Raven’s crowning achievement, an album that emphatically justifies their continued existence and unlike several of their contemporaries, they have transcended their modern-day stature beyond being a mere nostalgia act.
Rating: 9.5/10
Related: In-depth Interview With John Gallagher Of Raven
Record Label: SPV/Steamhammer
Release Dates:
April 22nd 2015 (Scandinavia)
April 24th 2015 (Germany)
April 27th 2015 (Europe)
April 28th 2015 (USA)
Track Listing:
01. Destroy All Monsters
02. Tomorrow
03. It’s Not What You Got
04. Fight
05. Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)
06. Feeding The Monster
07. Fire Burns Within
08. Scream
09. One More Day
10. Thunder Down Under
11. No Surrender
12. Golden Dawn
13. Silver Bullet
14. River Of No Return
15. Malice In Geordieland
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