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RAVEN BLACK NIGHT
Barbarian Winter

Metal Blade (2013)
Rating: 6/10

Raven Black Night formed near the dawn of the new millennium in Adelaide, Australia (home of giants like the legendary late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott and the critically acclaimed Virgin Black). After releasing their debut album, Choose The Dark, in 2005 the band toured heavily including festival performances alongside the likes of Rage and Candlemass. Barbarian Winter is their first release for Metal Blade Records.

While it’s easy to note the band’s influences, they bring it all together in a way that makes you feel like you are in a dark basement somewhere, surrounded by candles and smoke while people pay homage to the spirit world.

The whole album has that distant, distorted feel (fuzzbox tones, not much deep end from the bass or drums, and upfront vocals) that made the late 60s / early 70s creepy but it’s also got the powerful lyrics that marked the career of the mighty Dio.

The title track is a great example of what I’m attempting to describe here. It’s dark and evil sounding as it plods along with huge riffs and seemingly non-stop lead work. Topped off lyrically as a tale of yore, the nine-minute and change epic is massive in scope. The groovy ‘Black Queen’ is another epic tale that you find yourself getting lost in (particularly in the guitar work). The faster and heavier ‘Morbid Gladiator’ is a favourite as well, again due largely to the screaming guitar licks and fuzzy tones.

While this is an above average album, it’s certainly made for a certain type of fan. The recording sounds like shit to be honest, but if this is a style of music you generally like then you’ll recognize the purpose of the throwback sound immediately. The songs here are pretty long-winded as well. Six of the 12 tracks clock in at over five minutes so it’s a lot to take in all at once. An argument could be made that the vocals are rough as well, but personally I really like them. The falsetto on songs like ‘Mystery Woman’ and ‘Black Queen’ can get annoying but it also helps break the monotony in an early King Diamond kind of way.

It would be justifiable to classify Barbarian Winter simply as a doom album, but it’s more than just stoner riffs and live feeling. Raven Black Night are out of this world with raw guitar soloing; it almost sounds like a jam session between Mercyful Fate, Blue Öyster Cult, and Candlemass. If you enjoy bands like Graveyard, Witchsorrow, Crystal Viper, early Black Sabbath, or any of the aforementioned bands then you’ll dig this one.

Mark Fisher

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