The 10 Greatest Releases from the North East New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NENWOBHM)!
That's quite the mouthful!
Raven – All for One (1983)
Track Listing:
- “Take Control”
- “Mind over Metal”
- “Sledgehammer Rock”
- “All for One”
- “Run Silent, Run Deep”
- “Hung, Drawn and Quartered”
- “Break the Chains”
- “Take It Away”
- “Seek and Destroy”
- “Athletic Rock”
Raven’s third album, released in 1983, unfortunately signalled the death knell for what looked like a blossoming career for these self proclaimed purveyors of ‘Athletic Rock’. The likes of Metallica et all plundered the tracks here for ideas and inspiration and eventually took Raven’s blueprint and ran with it, leaving Raven gasping for air and frantically trying to catch up.
An absurd situation, as Raven’s speed metal meets more streamlined, mainstream-courting, sound on All For One should have seen them make that step up to the big leagues. Practically faultless, Raven were firing on all cylinders here, ably championed by Accept’s Udo Dirkschneider (who served as producer and provided backing vocals) and smashing their way through a series of ever more preposterous speed/thrash metal workouts.
Screeching vocals and screechier riffs informed much of the album and highlights such as the title track, “Break the Chain,” “Take It Away” and “Mind Over Metal” lived and died by their ‘swords at the ready’ attitude!
Hi. The Hollow Ground tracks on the Roksnax album aren’t the same four from the ‘Warlord’ EP (those tracks were Flying High/Warlord/Rock On/Don’t Chase The Dragon). Apologies if this has been pointed out before.
I mention it only because I was lucky enough on Saturday to find a copy of the original EP on Guardian with the picture cover.