Count Raven are legends, a band formed during the heyday of doom and gloom metal, they’ve kept things going throughout the ups and downs. And now a reissue of a classic album.
Until Death Do Us Part is heavy, apocalyptic and simply earth-shattering, with enhanced sound and reflection in the mix, it creates the vision of an absolute metal classic. Hippies Triumph is a lesson in the groove, the right amount of swagger mixed in with the right amount of heaviness, to create the perfect blend. Title track Destruction of the Void is a song that should really be in the pantheon of metal classics, a song that would make Tony Iommi and the boys in Black Sabbath shit themselves with jealousy. Let The Dead Bury The Dead is fast, grooving and chock filled with absolute monster riffs. Northern Lights is a trip through the psychedelic phase of the band with synths creating an all-out rave. Leaving the Warzone is dark and foreboding and the vocals are reminiscent of classic Ozzy Osbourne if Ozzy had ever taken steroids to sound that heavy.
Angel of Death is thumping, shaking and intimidating, a brilliant song for the time and now. The Final Journey is rip-roaring, and awe-inspiring a lesson in how to craft a beautiful metal ballad/all-out doom fest. No One’s Hero is a mix of classic doom and progressive influences, that build things to a nice crescendo. Europa with its synth inlays and switching melodies is a fitting closer to this album. The two demos, Point of Youth and Sworn to Fun are nice descriptions of where the band was at this time, and are fitting additions to this reissue.
Be sure to get the album when it is released on 27th April via Metal Blade.