Thursday, April 14, 2016

Concert Review: The Raven Age



The Raven Age is a melodic metal band from London. I thought they sounded kind of Sheffield, but that may simply be because I was listening to Bruce Dickinson - who is from Sheffield - later that night. I saw The Raven Age because they opened for Iron Maiden.

I greatly appreciate the melodic focus in their music, and it is accurate to emphasize that. While the music is hard and driving, it is never overpowered by discordant sounds into becoming something less than music.

That being said, they opened with a long drum solo that filled the stadium (I saw them at the Tacoma Dome), and the primal beats set the stage for what was to come.

I thought they did well. Engagement with the audience was good, and I appreciated the sense of teamwork as the lead vocalist took time to introduce the other band members. The opening slot can be hard, especially for a band as iconic as Iron Maiden, but The Raven Age held their own.

There is not a lot of material currently available, with one 4-track EP and one official video, but you do feel them, and you can feel that hearing more of them would be a good thing.






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