Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
Having built their career on visceral live shows, The Raven Age have always written taught, modern metal that both piledrives and thrills.
This new release shows their more pensive side and stands to be hailed as one of the finest things they’ve done. Gently shimmering in the heat, the sweepingly cinematic ‘No Man’s Land’ builds from its slow burning intro, adding layer upon layer of atmosphere but never falling prey to the obvious clichés.
The temptation is always to go big, but when the guitars properly kick in it’s with a restrained crunch, the power delicately handled like a finely tuned racer, rather than an overwhelming barrage and the song is much better for it.
Big, ballsy and just heavy enough to add the weight it deserves, The Raven Age show emphatically that their writing is maturing at a rapid rate and this has all the hallmarks of a future classic.
Having played stadiums all over the world opening for Iron Maiden, ‘No Man’s Land’ shows the quintet have the ambition and skills to one day return there with their name in huge letters across the top of the posters and billboards. The next generation of British metal is here and looks unstoppable.
Pre-Order ‘Exile’ now – https://theravenage.lnk.to/Exile
Get tickets for ‘The Year the World Stood Still – Exile Premiere Streaming Event’ – https://venuo.co.uk/the-raven-age
