I hate to admit how much time I spend on social media looking at short videos. There’s a certain theme these videos share. The theme is inspirational and motivating. There are several videos featuring legendary producer Rick Rubin discussing music. Riven By Ravens mentions a particular video in an interview and how it impacted them. The message is pretty clear. Write from the heart, write for yourself not for the approval of others. Riven By Ravens follow that mantra on their new album, Venerate.
Taking Rick’s message to heart, Riven By Ravens music is not for mainstream radio. Venerate is a heavy album. “Say What You Mean” hits us like a sucker punch to the gut. A furious fusillade of distorted riffs roar from the speakers. There’s finesse and bite to the vocal delivery.
‘Venerate’ From Riven By Ravens Set For Release on Friday June 7th, 2024
More epic riffing goes down on “Grey Sky”. This track is a wall of sound, dense and far reaching. The songwriting is exceptional. Building the verse from the bassline drives the single guitar notes that follow. No lulls can be found, only a perennial sensation of moving forward. I love how the vocal sample is brought back to reload momentum. Vocal melodies are smooth as expected.
The single I circled is “Death Of An Ego(maniac)”. One word, banger. Powerful riffs pound the pavement like stampeding buffalo. Around the 3:20 mark, the guitar takes over, exerting sheer dominance over the track. I thought this was the singer’s best performance on the album. His wordplay and various vocal melodies hit their mark. My favorite song of the album.
This is a unique listening experience. The quality of the music and its execution is top notch. Riven By Ravens give a nod to some of rock n roll greats like Tool. They find a groove reminiscent of Pantera. From start to finish, Riven By Ravens take us on a grand journey. The fact that this wall of sound was produced by two people is pretty amazing. I’m a new fan.
