RAVEN is a New Wave of British Heavy Metal / Speed Metal band from Newcastle, England. This describes them quite wall, they have the voice of NWOBHM but with the attitude of Thrash/Speed Metal. This is their 14^th full-length album and they were formed back in 1974. More than 45 years representing Metal throughout the globe.

They influenced the Big 4 in a huge way and their paved the way for them to breakout. They brought METALLICA as their opener in 1983 in their US tour and really brought a whole new audience to the legends we all know and love obviously. They were always open to bringing new bands with them on tour and giving them a shot. They were thinking about the bigger picture, a little bit like what bands like Ozzy Osbourne, MOTORHEAD and DIAMOND HEAD did for them back in the UK. They might have not had the success of the bands they made discover, they still have a longstanding influence on many bands. When METALLICA did a stadium show in Brazil a few years ago, they asked RAVEN to open in front of over 70000 fans, which is a nice gift for a band that helped them at the very beginning.

They sound a lot like older ACCEPT, mixed with SAXON. Their sound is really based on NWOBHM but it's much more faster. They really mix both sounds really well and it's highly enjoyable. The last few ANNIHILATOR albums sounds a lot like them, I am not entirely sure that's the biggest compliment though. ANNIHILATOR has been copying styles left and right since Jeff Waters took over the reigns of the vocals. I feel like I am listening to one of their albums but with a singer with a much better range of vocals obviously.

The Gallagher brothers are in fine form and ''Metal City'' is not just a witty title, it means the world to them. They are talking about the history of Heavy Metal everywhere, the Metal community throughout the world. It's not fashion, it's passion inside of us all Metalheads. We have different styles we love but Metal is a brotherhood, we stand as one as the Metal City and I thought the lyrics were really thought provoking. It reminded me of ''Back in the Day'' from MEGADETH on the ''The System Has Failed'' album, the message is obviously loud and clear. An ode to people that have been there since day one and kept Metal alive, from the small bars to the big stadiums.

''Battlescarred'' is also an homage of sorts of the pain, the trials and tribulations of bands criss-crossing Europe or North America to do show, you have scars to prove it and you give your all even if you are sick, unwell or something in-between. There are no off days when you are doing shows, you give your all even if you might not be at your best. You are there for the fans and even if you are hurting inside, the show must go one with scars inside and out.

''Motorheadin'' is also quite the showstopper. Another homage to the legends themselves, MOTORHEAD. What does ''Motorheadin'" mean, well it's a lifestyle, in and out of music. You give your all and you don't take crap from anyone, you make sure the fans are happy and you do music your way. It's your way or the highway, I think RAVEN learned from past mistakes when they tried to be more commercial back in the mid 80's and nowadays they are true to the sound of the band.

Pulling no punches again on this release, it's another solid effort. Clocking at less than 40 minutes, it's the perfect length for an album of this genre. There are no sore spots or bad songs on this release, it felt refreshing to say the least. The album is solid from the beginning to the end and it's a highly enjoyable headbanger.