RAVENS CREED is a Death/Thrash Metal band from Nottingham, England. "Give War a Chance" is the group's fifth full-length album, released by SPV GmbH on August 27, 2021.

This album is a relentless festival of carnage and destruction. Echoes of classic Proto-Death Metal bands like POSSESSED and "Scream Bloody Gore"-era DEATH mix brilliantly with elements of British Death Metal gods BOLT THROWER and Stockholm Death Metal kings ENTOMBED on this LP. Clearly, this band has an appreciation for the rawer, thrashier sound of early Death Metal as opposed to the more technical sound that dominates the Tampa Bay scene today. Not only does this album want to rip the listener's face off, but also, with its very obvious Hardcore Punk attitude, it seems like it wants to punch you in the gut and take your money outside of a bar after you get wayyyy too wasted and foolishly threaten to kick its ass.

This album whizzes by. The only track that clocks in at over four minutes is "Intro / Vatican" - and if we're going to get nitpicky, they could've split that into two different tracks that would've been shorter than any of the others on the rest of the album. Steve Watson is no bullshit and no-frills - all riffs, all the time. His riffing style alternates between bludgeoning and fast ("Trampled Down & Shit On") to somewhat melodic - almost IRON MAIDEN inspired, but with a twist ("The Knot That Binds"). Al Osta's vocals are absolutely demonic, incorporating influences from "Beneath the Remains"-era Max Cavalera, OBITUARY's John Tardy, and the late great L.G. Petrov. And finally, Rod Boston and Jay Graham work very well as a rhythm section, with Graham's drum tone further cementing the classic Death Metal sound that the band is going for here.

Other highlights from the track listing include "Panzer Maniac," with its very obvious thrash elements and catchy chorus; "Armed And Unready," one of many MOTÖRHEAD-on-steroids songs on this record; and "Necro Mantle," with its very earworm-y riffs and memorable ending section.

Overall, five albums in and this band sounds fresh and deadly. Each song on "Give War a Chance" hits so hard it would leave you with a blackeye - which is clearly what RAVENS CREED wanted. Does it seem like this is a band that would branch out into other styles? Not really. But that's OK. They found their niche and they clearly know how to do it better than most.