A barbarian winter out of sunny Oz was a bit of a long shot for a band I knew nothing of but, billed as epic doom and previously having had an album out on Shadow Kingdom I thought ‘give it a go, eh?’. Well, when the classic bulldozer in an avalanche riff slides down on you on Fire In Your Eyes I guessed that they could handle the guitar. And that was before the strong but definitely unusual vocal approach which brings a gruff but tuneful sound with the offspring of King Diamond and Ian Gillian wailing away in the background. If this sounds chaotic that’s because it is; despite the nice production this has a real spontaneous live feel to it with so much chucked into the mid paced doomy heavy metal that it’s a little bewildering. In a good way. Definitely in a good way. It’s catchy, heads down and huge.
Morbid Gladiator isn’t as immediate, a curious short riff style and sparse sound making it difficult to get a handle on. Still good and intriguing and finally when Mystery Woman follows up, the Manilla Road vibe hits me with a real up tempo Sabbath-come-Electric Wizard halo. It’s also hard to overstate how much the vocals from Jim Petkoff grow on you. Fallen Angel has them in full flight with his partner on guitar Rino Amoriono crashing and shredding their way through a fantastic bit of metal that teeters on controlled chaos before always finding its way back.
They are much more full on and up tempo than most bands holding the doom banner but a doom vibe there most certainly is, particularly on the Candlemass style epic tracks like Black Queen. Just that this has so much true heavy metal in its sinews it’s practically splitting the skin. Maybe the vocals do veer just the tiniest amount now and then, but I can readily forgive them that for all the eccentricity and energy they put in to songs like the Dio gone Mercyful Fate song If You Choose The Dark with its Blue Oyster Cult melody leads and mad screams.
Energy. Yeah that’s it. Great songs, utter chaos, and energy levels that make it hard to sit still. Fantastic. I should want those vocals to rein it in a bit or the instrumental breaks to slim down but, dammit, it just sounds so good as it is.
They can also do long songs. Nine minutes of the title track running from true doom to virtually funeral and tossing in some black metal to complete it with the death vocals and the fluttering guitar runs all around it. Frankly? It’s all a bit mad and wonderful.
And then they just drop in a rather faithful cover of Black Sabbath’s Changes. And a kind of rough, riffing ballad in Lips Of Fire. Mad. Being nice guys they offer us a little quiet introspective moment in Nocturnal Birth with superb vocals, emotive and perfectly poised above a song part Witchcraft, part Jex Thoth but played by Rainbow circa Long Live Rock n Roll. Lovely, lovely simple guitar leads with some fine bass work and subtle drum patterns too. All just to get your breath back before the eight minute closer Angel With A Broken Wing. Rock and roll indeed and another great steamroller off a song.
Umm. Er. Yeah. Well I can safely say I have never heard a band who sounds quite like Raven Black Night. And yes that is a huge compliment to these eccentric, bruising metalheads. They thunder through this album with complete disregard for the rules, somehow, and through engaging songwriting and wild, electric and eclectic energy come out with a truly excellent album full off seventies, eighties and nineties influences clutched in their fists. That, gents, is one cool act you have just pulled off.
(8.5/10 Gizmo)
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