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The Riven – The Riven – Album Review

Heavy blues rock, big choruses, mean riffs......

Swedish heavy blues rockers The Riven first came to our attention with the release of their Blackbird EP back in 2017. A sumptuous slice of classic rock, it was obvious that The Riven were well worth keeping tabs on and, two years on, it’s now time for The Riven to unleash their debut full length album…..and it’s a pleasure to say they have more than lived up to expectations!

Starting off with “The Serpent” it is quickly apparent that The Riven aren’t messing with what was already a winning formula. From hip shaking riffs to the incandescent vocals of Totta Ekebergh, this shit rocks. The thing is though, as great as the more ‘sprightly’ numbers are – such as the aforementioned “The Serpent”, “Far Beyond” and “Leap Of Faith” – it’s when they slow the pace down that they really prove themselves as a class act.

“I Remember” and “Sweet Child” are built around big hooks and bluesy motifs but the highlight of the album is the sombre “Finnish Woods”, which starts off with sparse instrumentation and a stunning vocal from Totta Ekebergh that has her channelling her inner Joplin to great effect.

It’s clear from this album that The Riven have a genuine affection for late 60’s early 70’s rock and they have lovingly crafted an album full of warmth and vitality that deserves to be heard far and wide. 8/10

About Gavin O'Connor (161 Articles)
Lifelong Heavy Metal fan. First got into Quo and Leppard, when I was 9 or so I first heard Megadeth and that was me hooked

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