Review Summary: Did we mention he's Steve Harris' son?
Every now and again after wallowing in the filth that is my music library I feel the need to go on a bit of a cleanse. I wouldn’t go so far as to start spinning Enya in a bathtub with candles, but there’s only so much Devourment and Aborted one can listen to before a palette cleanse is needed. Most of the time I either delve into the old tried and true classics, or attempt to navigate through the ever-increasingly bloated body of metalcore and “modern metal” bands. So when an album like The Raven Age’s Conspiracy slaps me in the face with simple yet memorable metal while I’m sifting through the mountains of flavour of the week-core, it’s hard for me to not pay attention.
Conspiracy sees the British melodic metal outfit take what they built in their debut effort, Darkness Will Rise, and refine their sound into a more efficient, well-oiled machine. Production wise, everything seems much tighter than their previous release. The guitar tone is crisp yet broad enough to allow for both snug riffs and epic chord progressions laced with simple but effective leads. The bass audibly hums along as the backbone of the ensemble, and the drums sound sharp. The vocals are at the forefront of the mix, yet never feel overpowering.
Guitarists Tony Maue and George Harris have further developed their chemistry in creating complementary melodies and memorable riffs that stay with you long after you have finished listening. Harris and Wright construct each song with a separate identity from the others. The most noticeable change is vocalist Matt James; stepping in to replace former vocalist Michael Burrough, he has established himself as a charismatic, confident vocalist in the vein of Iced Earth’s Stu Block. Though he does not have the diverse range that Block is capable of, he weaves emotion and melody into the songs with strength and conviction in much the same way, although many may find him slightly more generic than Burrough. The lyrics are standard fare for the most part, dealing with the subject matter of historical figures, worlds ending, and warring soldiers, however in several instances do a great job of painting narratives with words.
It’s hard to pick out a highlight from Conspiracy, as each song is its own beast, however most will warm to the upbeat pace and easily followed narrative of “Fleur De Lis,” or the catchy riffs of "Stigmata" and “Forgotten World.” As an anime fan, the highlight of the album for me was “Grave of the Fireflies,” based on the hauntingly poignant Studio Ghibli animation of the same name. This song is every bit as emotive as the film itself, and effectively portrays the desperation and futility of war in its untold human suffering, though the song does drag slightly and could have been cut short at around the 4:30 mark.
Conspiracy is a great second effort, full of distinct individual songs that set The Raven Age out from their peers as a band to watch grow. I, personally, have lost count of the amount of times I have listened to Conspiracy, and I cannot wait to get my hands on whatever they release next.
