LIVE(STREAM) REVIEW: The Raven Age @ The Year The World Stood Still, KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

Launching records in a time where live shows are currently being resuscitated has been difficult to say the least. Marking not only the end of this drought but also the release of a record, THE RAVEN AGE took over KK’s Steel Mill in Wolverhampton to document The Year The World Stood Still.

Comprised almost entirely of acoustic material from their interim album, Exile, THE RAVEN AGE set themselves the monumental task of keeping an audience engaged without being in the same room. Anticipation brewed among the fanbase in the days leading up to the event. This was set to be a spectacle, joined by a string quartet and a few surprises along the way. What they got, however, wasn’t quite as expected.

After a small title sequence, THE RAVEN AGE kicked things off with Behind The Mask. The three bar harmonies synonymous with the band sailed over acoustic guitars. Strings swept in and lifted the guitars higher before Matt James uttered a single word. Set against simplistic production, our attention was focused purely on what we could hear, rather than what we saw. James’ vocals were raw and powerful as he told the story of one man’s attempt to escape “their blood thirsty gaze”.

It’s plain to see this livestream, and the album it launched, was more about the story being told, than it was about the pomp and circumstance of a live show. While the huge LED screen sat behind the band would light up with images pertaining to the song being played, the production quality sat within the sound rather than the visual. With this being said, we could also see the excitement of playing a live show, rendering James unable to sit still. Walking around the stage for recent single No Man’s Land, it’s obvious this metal vocalist was itching to play a live, fully electric show. Yet there was never a dip in sound quality when James moved.

The livestream’s namesake As The World Stood Still never felt more poignant for anyone than it did during the pandemic. For THE RAVEN AGE, life as they knew it came to a complete halt. Pent up frustration drove James’ voice as he sang about “the days merging as one”. It’s here also that we hear the impact of the string quartet. The sweep of the strings escalating the second chorus was wonderfully evocative as the band’s trademark three bar harmony released our own endorphins. While we hope to move on from the effects of the pandemic, we found ourselves wanting to stay in this precise moment a second longer. Renewed appreciation for live music seemed to bring us and the band together.

Fireflies brought a change in mood, amplified by the warm glow of orange lights and a sweeping camera shot. The band sat on their stools was similar to being camped around a fire. The galloping rhythm Fireflies has left nothing to chance as any mistakes here would be glaring. Running the risk paid off however as this became one of the highlights of the livestream. The team of James and guitarist George Harris shines as this eight minute track went by in the blink of an eye. The effect these two men were going for becomes clear as spinal fluid begins to tingle when everything gets stripped back to these two lone rangers.

While Exile contains acoustic versions of THE RAVEN AGE’s back catalogue, electric guitars were never too far from this metal band of brothers. This came with the hesitation of electric potentially drowning out the acoustic element. However, subtle buzzes and billows lacing Wait For Me proved there is most certainly a time and place for a little juice every now and then. The ability to bring certain elements together without feeling out of place makes Exile, and indeed this stream, the experience it was. Mixing low vocal harmonies with the buzz of violins in Hold High was sublime.

With experimentation comes spaces to be improved on. Closing the livestream was fan favourite A Thousand Ships. Strings rang like an electric guitar as the real deal came swooping in. Here began the tipping of the scale. Electric elements drowned out the string sections as the stage was plunged into the darkness of green lighting. While it may have been hard to contain the energy this band has as a metal outfit, A Thousand Ships broke away from the vibe of the rest of the stream, thus pulling us from our immersion. A Thousand Ships served as a taster of what to expect when THE RAVEN AGE tours at the end of the year but left the stream a little too shattered.

There’s no denying everything about The Year The World Stood Still looked and sounded divine. With that being said, there was a disconnect within the performance. Each song was its own contained unit, bookmarked by simple title cards. This transition may have served its purpose to differentiate between songs but it felt cold. There was no real connection between band and fans, save for a video montage during Fireflies. No one spoke throughout the performance. Yes, bands hope to put on a clinic when they perform, but this livestream felt clinical.

Rating: 7/10

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