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RAVEN LORD
Descent To The Underworld

Mausoleum (2013)
Rating: 7.5/10

It’s time to wake up fellow metalheads, arise and take notice. Time to dust off that old studded leather jacket, slip on those ripped up denim jeans and go forth into the world, united and reinvigorated, with a new battle-cry burning in your heart, courtesy of Raven Lord and their debut album Descent To The Underworld.

If you long for the days of yore when Iron Maiden and Judas Priest were kings of the realm, and metal had muscle as well as flair, then this, dear friends, is what you’ve been waiting for. This is old school metal with a modern edge. We’re talking galloping guitars, blistering leads, and vocals that soar as well as they snarl.

Equal parts Motörhead and Iced Earth, Raven Lord pay homage to metal’s past while creating a sound that is vibrant and modern. Some so-called “true metal” sounds dated and stale, but not so with Descent To The Underworld.

Vocalist and founding member Csaba Zvekan (a name you’ve likely never heard of before) has been active in the metal community for decades, having supported a plethora of bands you are surely familiar with such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, W.A.S.P., Anthrax, Great White, Steve Vai, The Black Crowes, Slayer and Testament. This guy’s resume is a long and notable indeed. His name (as unpronounceable as it may be for us Yanks) is one to remember. His voice is quite remarkable as well, sounding like a glorious merging of Tim “Ripper” Owens’ (ex-Iced Earth / ex-Judas Priest) soaring pipes and Jon Oliva’s (Savatage / Jon Oliva’s Pain) grit and growl.

Raven Lord produce a sound that simply forces you to raise your fist in the air and bang your head. There are elements of power metal within, but don’t count these guys out as dragon worshipping pansies. There are keys, but they are not overbearing nor used an inordinate amount. The keys complement the rest of the instruments perfectly. Just listen to ‘Let The Show Go On’ and you’ll agree.

Songs such as ‘Metal Knights’ and ‘The Rebel’ are both surefire anthems guaranteed to get any congregation of metalheads up and moving. ‘Sun God’ slows the tempo down a bit, but lacks nothing in power. And if you are any sort of metal fan you owe it to yourself to listen to ‘Attila The Hun’ which is simply stunning in its furor and finesse. It’ll give you chills.

Raven Lord have come out swinging with their debut album and it’s a home run hit. This is metal. This is powerful. This is awesome. Horns up!

Farron Watson

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