The Raven Age: Empire Of Blood
Ever encountered an ill omen? Some small yet strange sign that something bad is going to happen? It isn’t anxiety we refer to on this occasion but something of prophetic significance. Take the raven for example. Harmless enough bird, Loki The Raven has a substantial following on TikTok for his penchant for stealing their keeper’s food. However these majestic creatures are often symbols of death or misfortune lingering in our peripheries. There is a myth within the United Kingdom that should the six resident ravens leave the Tower Of London’s bounds then the crown and the fortress itself will fall. It’s possible this parable should have died out with Charles II, yet here it remains, ushering in a strange era. Which is where UK metal band THE RAVEN AGE pulls its name. With the release of Blood Omen sitting on the crimson horizon, guitarist George Harris joins us from a tour bus in Hanover.
“We started working on it not too far after our previous actual album,” George tells us, referring to 2019’s Conspiracy. “We essentially didn’t want to release an album during the pandemic when you couldn’t tour it and you couldn’t maximise the impact.” What THE RAVEN AGE did in the interim was release the acoustic record Exile in 2021. The band also took the opportunity to change their lineup, introducing guitarist Tommy Gentry to the mix. Has Tommy been a good luck charm for the band thus far? George seems to think so as he says; “I feel like we’ve kind of matured our writing style and we’re just way more locked in as a band and I think it shows in Bloodline. We’re all really confident in the album and we all kind of agree that this is our strongest body of work yet.”
The four years between Conspiracy and Blood Omen also allowed the band to find a new home with Music For Nations, a subsidiary of Sony. “We had our sights set on them for ages,” George beams. “They seem to get us the most; they get the whole idea behind the lore of the band, the raven thing. They also don’t take tons of bands on so they’re able to be incredibly hands on which has been amazing so far.” As a result of this illustrious connection, THE RAVEN AGE were able to recruit Audrey Riley; a cellist arranger who has worked with the likes of MUSE and FOO FIGHTERS. By doing so, the band could expand on the cinematic nature of their sound by incorporating real orchestral pieces rather than channelling through midi plug-ins. “Midis sound great, don’t get me wrong, but it’s never quite the same,” George comments. “Our drummer Jai [Patel] was involved in the string arrangements as well and it was a completely different experience for us. But I also think you can hear the difference.”
The difference is dramatic with a track like Serpents Tongue; a thunderous cacophony of riffs colliding with the dramatic edge of orchestral ensembles. Though as powerful as the drag is, THE RAVEN AGE didn’t want the seriousness of the single to take away the enjoyment of the band. Hence the Addams Family style music video. “We set the bar so high with the Parasite video we were just wondering how we were going to top it,” comes with a slight laugh. “Because Serpents Tongue has an air of commercial around it, we just thought why not go with something a little more light hearted.”
“I think you end up holding back if you play into the dark and heavy tracks all the time,” George muses. It’s these restraints THE RAVEN AGE seek to break as they delve into the fantastical and cinematic elements of life. Such as the prophet Nostradamus, the subject of his very own track. The brainchild of vocalist Matt James (MJ), Nostradamus was somewhat of a passion project born of an interest in the figure. “Sometimes you get that inspiration, that buzz for writing,” the guitarist tells us. “With me, I like writing about one sort of subject as you can do your research around it whereas MJ will feel restricted by it and prefer to go with songs Like Forgive And Forget where you can be a little more loose.”
The dynamics born from these approaches to songwriting has ultimately produced THE RAVEN AGE’s most ambitious album to date. With this comes the six minute closer Tears Of Stone. Written from the perspective of bereaved loved ones, the track is based upon the tale of 75 Apache warriors who were outnumbered by the US cavalry on a mountain overlooking Superior, Arizona. Rather than be killed by the cavalry, the Apache simply took their horses and rode off the mountain, falling to their deaths. The tears of the bereft would turn to stone upon impact with the ground. JOHNNY CASH had written a song, Apache Tears, on the same legend in the 1960s. “I found that story so deep and passionate,” George ponders. “Musically speaking, we were just messing around with certain arrangements and it really lent itself to the story in how epic it became.” For those with sharp hearing, the outro was indeed intended to filter into the intro of Changing Of The Guard – the album’s opening track.
It’s all well and good talking about the music and how it all came together, but what of The Raven King? This hooded figure which has been depicted in artwork since THE RAVEN AGE’s inception. The one who now sits atop a throne on the cover of Blood Omen. “We’ve been slightly hinting at him for so long now,” George laughs. “It’s time for The Raven King to claim his ravens and take the throne.”
Blood Omen is out now via Music For Nations.
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