ALBUM REVIEW: Blood Omen – The Raven Age

THE RAVEN AGE have had a decent run of late: a successful tour opening for IRON MAIDEN, signing to Music For Nations, and a slew of popular singles to boot. But now the real test comes with the release of their new album Blood Omen.

The third mainline album is the successor to Conspiracy (2019) and once again picks up the story of The Raven King. That’s the guy on the album cover. What of Exile (2021)? Simply a passion project during COVID and not meant to be considered in the lore of THE RAVEN AGE. Does that make this a concept album then? Well… yes and no, not so much a strict concept but not a series of standalone tales either. With that at the wayside, Blood Omen comes with nine tracks of what promises to be the future of British modern metal. Changing Of The Guard signifies just that for THE RAVEN AGE. An ominous ringing of new recruit Tommy Gentry’s guitar blending into George Harris’ acoustic work showcases the production of THE RAVEN AGE has reached a new era. Mastered by Mika Jussila, who has worked with the likes of NIGHTWISH and CHILDREN OF BODOM, the very essence of epic soundscapes radiates through swelling strings and lone operatics. With a crash of Jai Patel’s drums, the stage is set for the dawning of a new age.

Before we come in with the new, we have to oust the old and this is exactly what Parasite intends to do. We won’t delve into it too much as the single is already out, but its nuances such as the brief pause before the chunky riff in the main instrumental breeds a sigh of relief. As Matt James speaks of “fading to ashes”, we can hear his vocals have improved tremendously, feeling a lot more comfortable within the band despite having joined after the release of Conspiracy. The reason this “fountain of youth” has done so well in the singles charts is its anthemic nature, the cadence crawling into the mind like the titular parasite. What we will say though is we don’t feel the guest spot from Andy James (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) on guitar was wholly necessary. The solo he contributes doesn’t add a whole lot to the song. Though 5FDP isn’t exactly a band like THE RAVEN AGE would turn down.

“You will take this to the grave” James snarls over the wonderful chug of Serpents Tongue. The gritty vocals stare down the notion of deception. What we have to commend THE RAVEN AGE for is that this is certainly the sonically heavy effort they have committed themselves to – a sign the band have used the four years between Conspiracy and this to hone their craft and find their sound. As they proclaim “smoke is your foundation”, we’re treated to a wonderfully sharp swell into another venomous chorus. Proceedings slow slightly with Essence Of Time and its talk of aging. No one really wants to acknowledge time slipping away but here are THE RAVEN AGE to load us with existential dread. The bulk of the instrumental is incredibly bottom heavy, giving Matt Cox (bass) an opportunity to shine. All is peachy with Essence Of Time and its lending of itself to be belted out on roadtrips. That is until motivational messages and lyricism come into play. We don’t want to say it’s cheesy but THE RAVEN AGE tread very closely to the territory of preachy when they do this.

Pulling themselves back from the brink, the five-piece languish in the mind of prophet Nostradamus. Fantastical and distorted guitars paint the picture of a man hunched over various pieces of parchment while the swing of full instrumental combined with a scream from James catapults us into the prophet’s mind. Written from the titular character’s perspective, “the age of suffering” is upon us. We’re given a faster vocal delivery and a much needed change of pace. The dynamics on display from THE RAVEN AGE are something we’ve heard on previous releases but it seems now that with every small squeal of Harris’ guitar or rolling drum pattern that this is a band very much at ease with itself. Though we also run into something which happens at various points in the album thus far: unnecessarily slower interludes. This happens again with later track The Journey as it too becomes a motivational speaker willing us to “be a shooting star until you reach the moon”. Inspirational yes, but not wholly necessary.

Forgive & Forget has the band building on their strengths. A faster build up than most of the material so far is much appreciated while the lower harmony on the vocal is a welcome change in tone. While this may read as 80s rock in some of its nuances, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Pleasure is pleasure whether it’s guilty or not. “It’s so hard to sleep when you’re always dreaming” feeds from a much faster, more well-suited guitar solo and punctuates yet another successful single. With a title like War In Heaven, we’re fed some high expectations. Huge drums contrast beautifully against the small movements of strings. The stereotypical toll of the bell ushers in the full instrumental. We’re given a typical metal song from THE RAVEN AGE, speedy riffs hiding in the aether, a story about being turned away from the gates of Heaven, and imagery of saccharine death. Spending an eternity with the “wretched souls of the underworld” doesn’t sound so bad, right? Though what would a metal album be without a redemption arc? With a bone rattling “cry for the ferryman”, we sail on down the River Styx to the tune of a fast chug and soaring solo but are still left “dying to be saved”.

As we’ve alluded to before, soundscapes are at the forefront of Blood Omen and no song more so than Tears Of Stone. The album’s epic, registering at six and a half minutes, tells the story of a tribe of Apache warriors who rode their horses off the side of a mountain to avoid being killed by Custer’s men. Softer guitars mirror the loss of those who cry the tears of stone. The restraint in James’ voice is spectacular. As the bereaved cry there is “no prayer I have not given”, Tears Of Stone pulls on the heartstrings in the way an epic should. Though the song audibly jars between second chorus and solo, the change of pace perhaps being too clunky. Pacing again becomes an issue in the closing moments as the acoustic section starts a touch too early. But all in all this is a fitting end to THE RAVEN AGE’s finest hour.

We’ve literally just said what we think of Blood Omen in the last sentence. THE RAVEN AGE were a band who were always a touch unsettled. There seemed to be something missing or misfiring. That’s all changed with Blood Omen. This is a suite of incredible songs from a band on fire. Settled within their identity yet pushing themselves further, THE RAVEN AGE have strived for better and found it. Sure, there are a few snagging points in terms of pacing and mismatched solos but Blood Omen is arguably set to be THE RAVEN AGE’s greatest body of work yet.

Rating: 8/10

Blood Omen is out now via Music For Nations.

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