As BLACK SABBATH is the true root from what all that is Metal had grown, it's not something unexpected to have bands trying to do that same form of music from the past. In the early days of Doom Metal, this was the main idea, but the genre evolved a lot since then. And the Australian quartet RAVEN BLACK NIGHT, after an absence of some years without releases, comes again with "Run With the Raven".

The band's musical work is a classic and heavy form of Doom Metal (even with organic and handmade crude approach on the instrumental tunes) with an epic feeling filling some of their melodies. It's not a difficult musical work to deal with due its melodic appeal, but it's not something technically complex. A very good set of melodies and a raw energy flow from their songs, but it demands to be heard more than once to be understood.

Their sonority of the album was conceived to align the crude and organic approach of the past (the instrumental tunes are very simple, as the band just went to the studio, set the gears and played, without endless digital editions), but in a way that is defined and flows without problem. It could be better (just a bit cleaner), but it's not bad at all.

All the band's songs are very good, but the melodic catchy appeal of "Castle Walls (Tears of Leonidas)" (very good guitar riffs and solos), the crude Hard Rock feeling of "Searching Your Love" (this one bears some accessible feeling),      the crushing Doom Metal weight of "Sheeba (Queen of the Ravens)", the energetic appeal of "Visions" and "Her Sword of Tears",     and the darkened melodies of "Holy Monastery" are the finest moments of the album. But it won't be difficult to hear and like, after a second time on this album.

Maybe RAVEN BLACK NIGHT isn't in the will of changing Doom Metal, but what they show on "Run With the Raven" is really very good.