Ravenous - Thrash, Groove Metal - Southampton, UK
“Brutal” is a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, and I often see it attached to certain heavy bands that can in no way do the label justice. With confidence, though, I am proud to attach this sacred moniker to one of Southampton’s finest: Ravenous, a four-piece thrash metal outfit with a knack for beating you down, chord after chord, with their insanely heavy style. What's so weird about it is that even when you're on the ground, brutally knocked into submission by the band, you're only going to want more.
Opener “Abhor” is an absolutely crushing blow and the perfect taste of what’s to come on “We Are Become Death”, Ravenous' 2013 release. The introductory twenty seconds just slam you over and over with nasty low-tuned guitars chugging at breakneck speeds, and they refuse to relent. With lyrics like “I am your God, I am your pope” how could “Abhor” not get you excited for what’s to come? I always respect a band that’s not afraid to p*ss some people off, so David Game’s unrestrained and confident vocals are as infectious as it gets for someone like me. His ferocity paired with the rest of the band’s tight writing makes for an increasingly engaging listen.
These songs are aggressive, in your face, and impossible to not get into. Every palm-muted verse, loud chorus and soaring solo hits increasingly hard with each passing minute, as Ravenous never once slows down throughout the entire course of “We Are Become Death”. You would think after the amazingly tight lead guitar sweeps of “Suffocate” that these Southampton boys would mellow out for a second, but the perfectly named “Deathstiny” gives no breathing room and continues to pelt you with the band’s signature heavy blasting rhythms. Drummer Rich Giles flawlessly executes both relentless double bass proficiency and thrash-inspired pocket beats during the course of this strong mid-album cut.
Describing these aforementioned sections as “pocket beats” is a bit misleading, though, since one my favorite aspects of Ravenous is their never-ending songwriting complexity. The band does a great job maintaining rhythmic intricacy while vocalist/lead guitarist Game continues to shred away, often for two to three minutes at a time. Most bands would just play something straightforward without much syncopation, because, of course, you don’t want to detract attention away from the solo, but the Ravenous rhythm section can consistently execute interesting rhythms under these extended solos without ever grasping for the spotlight. Case in point, Game revels in the “Reverse (Symphony)” solo, but the band never takes a break, chugging and pausing all over the place while still highlighting the immaculate shredding.
By the time “The Strawman” concludes, ending “We Are Become Death” at its strongest point, you’ll just want to hit the replay button on your CD player to experience it all over again. An album that never once slows down is an album that equally never gets old, and Ravenous deserves all the praise in the world for keeping things interesting in this often ridiculously oversaturated genre. Coffee Jingle Records is definitely starting to prove themselves as the perfect home for many of metal’s modern innovators, Ravenous certainly being no exception. Don't take my word for it though, why don't you see for yourself and take a dive into “We Are Become Death” -That is, if you think you can handle it.
Buy "We Are Become Death" On iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-are-become-death/id604118681
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Ravenousband
By: Max Puhala
Opener “Abhor” is an absolutely crushing blow and the perfect taste of what’s to come on “We Are Become Death”, Ravenous' 2013 release. The introductory twenty seconds just slam you over and over with nasty low-tuned guitars chugging at breakneck speeds, and they refuse to relent. With lyrics like “I am your God, I am your pope” how could “Abhor” not get you excited for what’s to come? I always respect a band that’s not afraid to p*ss some people off, so David Game’s unrestrained and confident vocals are as infectious as it gets for someone like me. His ferocity paired with the rest of the band’s tight writing makes for an increasingly engaging listen.
These songs are aggressive, in your face, and impossible to not get into. Every palm-muted verse, loud chorus and soaring solo hits increasingly hard with each passing minute, as Ravenous never once slows down throughout the entire course of “We Are Become Death”. You would think after the amazingly tight lead guitar sweeps of “Suffocate” that these Southampton boys would mellow out for a second, but the perfectly named “Deathstiny” gives no breathing room and continues to pelt you with the band’s signature heavy blasting rhythms. Drummer Rich Giles flawlessly executes both relentless double bass proficiency and thrash-inspired pocket beats during the course of this strong mid-album cut.
Describing these aforementioned sections as “pocket beats” is a bit misleading, though, since one my favorite aspects of Ravenous is their never-ending songwriting complexity. The band does a great job maintaining rhythmic intricacy while vocalist/lead guitarist Game continues to shred away, often for two to three minutes at a time. Most bands would just play something straightforward without much syncopation, because, of course, you don’t want to detract attention away from the solo, but the Ravenous rhythm section can consistently execute interesting rhythms under these extended solos without ever grasping for the spotlight. Case in point, Game revels in the “Reverse (Symphony)” solo, but the band never takes a break, chugging and pausing all over the place while still highlighting the immaculate shredding.
By the time “The Strawman” concludes, ending “We Are Become Death” at its strongest point, you’ll just want to hit the replay button on your CD player to experience it all over again. An album that never once slows down is an album that equally never gets old, and Ravenous deserves all the praise in the world for keeping things interesting in this often ridiculously oversaturated genre. Coffee Jingle Records is definitely starting to prove themselves as the perfect home for many of metal’s modern innovators, Ravenous certainly being no exception. Don't take my word for it though, why don't you see for yourself and take a dive into “We Are Become Death” -That is, if you think you can handle it.
Buy "We Are Become Death" On iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-are-become-death/id604118681
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Ravenousband
By: Max Puhala