Raven All Hell's Breaking Loose LP

Sometimes, things just speak - or scream, roar, shout, maim, wound, beat, pulverize and destroy - for themselves. Exhibit one? All Hell's Breaking Loose, the 15th studio album from Newcastle-born heavy metal pioneers Raven. Founding Geordie brothers John Gallagher (lead vocals, bass, 12-string bass) and Mark Gallagher (guitar, backing vocals) have seemingly entered a time machine and regenerated their youthful selves, and with the fierce drumming of Mike Heller propelling further power, All Hell's Breaking Loose shows a band clearly bursting with fire, energy, power and pride in their standing as one of the true forefathers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. It is no understatement to say these are 10 'banger-after-banger' tracks, each with a tantalizing flurry of twisting NWOBHM riffery. "Turn of the Screw" bounces on the upbeats before smashing you with a thunderous chorus, "The Far Side" has as classic a metal riff as you'll hear in 2023, "Desperate Measures" is pure '81-saturated tales of hardship and despair, if you ever wondered what Raven at the Marquee were like on a sweaty metal night in '83, then "Edge of a Nightmare" is your portal to paradise, and "Go for the Gold" (the finisher!) thunders as hard as the opener "Medieval." Produced expertly by the band themselves at Heaven and Heller Studios, All Hell's Breaking Loose is 100% pedal-to-the-heavy-metal fun and escape back to the timeless future. Get into yer denim and leathers, break out the bevvies, and crank this mutha to 11!!!