Raven

Raven are a heavy metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, formed in 1975 by brothers John Gallagher and Mark Gallagher. The group is associated with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is also described as a UK metal band.

Style and significance

The band’s music is rooted in British hard rock and metal, with references to progressive tendencies and a willingness to take risks. Raven call their sound “Athletic Rock”, a name that reflects their energetic live performances and distinctive stage image. They become known for wearing sports equipment such as helmets, pads and guards while playing, and for using some of that equipment as part of the performance.

Raven gain a reputation in the early-to-mid 1980s NWOBHM scene and are later cited as an influence on thrash metal. Their impact extends to bands including Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Exodus, Overkill, Kreator, Sodom, Onslaught, Death Angel, Flotsam and Jetsam, Coroner, Annihilator and Razor. They also headline Metallica’s first national tour in 1983.

Recordings and career

The band signs to Neat Records and releases Wiped Out and Rock Until You Drop within a short period, achieving chart presence in the UK. They later sign to Megaforce Records in the United States, where their release All for One appears. They tour heavily in the US with Megaforce acts including Metallica and Anthrax, and the live recording Live at the Inferno comes out of that period.

Atlantic Records then signs Raven to a worldwide contract. In this period they release Stay Hard, which gives them a minor hit with “On and On”. The label later pushes the band in a more commercial direction on The Pack Is Back, a shift that alienates some long-time listeners. Raven also release two LPs and the Mad EP before leaving Atlantic.

After Life’s a Bitch, drummer Wacko leaves and Joe Hasselvander joins from Pentagram. The band then adopts a more traditional denim-and-leather image for Nothing Exceeds Like Excess. Following the rise of grunge and the collapse of Combat Records, Raven focus more on continental Europe and Japan, where they retain a stronger audience.

The band continues to record and tour until 2001, when Mark Gallagher is injured in a wall collapse and suffers broken legs. Raven then goes on hiatus for several years before returning to touring. Their fourteenth studio album, Metal City, appears in 2020 and is their first studio album in five years. It is also the first to feature Mike Heller on drums. In 2022 they reissue their debut album Rock Until You Drop as a four-CD edition.

Members

Current and former members associated with Raven include John Gallagher, Mark Gallagher, Mike Kenworthy, Sean Taylor, Pete Shore, Rob Hunter, Joe Hasselvander, Paul Sherrif and Paul Bowden.