RAVEN – Over The Top! (The Neat Albums 1981-1984) [Cherry Red / HNE Box Set remastered] *HQ*

Here’s a monster, monster slab of classic New Wave of British Heavy Metal for you. The first three RAVEN studio albums and their remarkable live album – all from the band’s early career on the NWOBHM-friendly Neat label packed into this Cherry Red Records / Hear No Evil clamshell Box Set titled ‘‘Over The Top! (The Neat Albums 1981-1984)”, fully remastered by Rock Candy Records resident Andy Pearce and including a bunch of bonus tracks.
Raven originated from the NWOBHM “stronghold” of the north east. A proving ground which also spawned luminaries such as White Spirit, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Fist et all.
In this, er, neat package we can marvel at how good Raven were back then. This tasty box set comprises Rock Until You Drop, Wiped Out, All For One and Live at the Inferno – all on the Neat label before Raven bagged a big time contract with Atlantic.
This is all blistering stuff. Hard, heavy, powerful, self-styled “athletic rock”. Massive, chunky, brutal, strong riffs and powerchords. Manic solos, huge drumming and a vocal putting many shouters from the time in the shade.

Their full length debut, the self-explanatory “Rock Until You Drop”, was released by Neat to much acclaim in 1981, finding champions in the pages of Sounds and Kerrang! magazines. Although a pumped up medley of The Sweet’s ‘Hellraiser’ & ‘Action’ betrayed some of their earlier glam rock influences, tracks such as ‘Hell Patrol’, ‘Lambs to the Slaughter’ & ‘Tyrant of the Airways’ left no doubt to their dedication to metal muscle.
‘Hard Ride’, ‘Nobody’s Hero’ and the rest truly remarkable. As is the barking mad cover of Sweet’s Hellraiser and Action. The album closer – ‘Tyrant of the Airwaves’ is the standout on an album of heavy metal standouts.

The follow-up album – Wiped Out – was perhaps a bit rushed as the label tried to capitalise on the success of the debut though it doesn’t make it any less of a powerful listen with more of that muscular style hitting hard. It’s all good, including the band’s classics ‘Faster Than The Speed Of Light’ and ‘Live At The Inferno’.
And Raven’s potential was noticed attracting touring slots with the likes of Motorhead and Girlschool. Even America beckoned as they went on the road with Anvil.

That momentum was followed up with the third album – All For One – again showing what a force Raven were with a higher quality production from the Michael Wagner / Udo Dirkschneider “double trouble” team. The Accept lead singer also joined the boys for a cover of Steppenwolf classic ‘Born To Be Wild’, included here as a bonus track.

More touring followed – notably back in America again with none other than Metallica supporting. Returning from that tour would signal the end of the band’s association with Neat for the deeper pool of Atlantic Records. However the switch to the majors wouldn’t put Raven as far up the tree as talent deserved.
Featured on CD4 is the seemingly inevitable double live album, “Live At The Inferno”. Across 19 tracks, including live favorites ‘Mind Over Metal’, ‘Crash Bang Wallop’, ‘Rock Until You Drop’ & ‘Faster Than Speed Of Light’, the album proudly states THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY NO OVERDUBS ON THIS ALBUM! Following “Live At The Inferno” Raven would sign a major label deal with Atlantic, relocating to the States for further fame & fortune, with the band still regularly gigging and releasing records today.

Enjoy this box set from the “early days” to show how good and how important Raven were for the NWOBHM movement. Bonus tracks include ‘Wiped Out’, the “Crash Bang Wallop EP”, ‘The Ballad Of Marshall Stack’, ‘Inquisitor’ and ‘Power And The Glory’.
It’s proper classic heavy metal with muscle, and stands up well today four decades later.
Highly Recommended

Rock Until You Drop [1981]
01 – Hard Ride
02 – Hell Patrol
03 – Don’t Need Your Money
04 – Over The Top
05 – 39 – 40
06 – For The Future
07 – Rock Until You Drop
08 – Nobody’s Hero
09 – Hellraiser – Action
10 – Lambs To The Slaughter
11 – Tyrant Of The Airways
BONUS TRACKS:
12 – Wiped Out
13 – Crazed World
14 – Inquisitor (1981)
15 – Let It Rip

Wiped Out [1982]
01 – Faster Than The Speed Of Light
02 – Bring The Hammer Down
03 – Fire Power
04 – Read All About It
05 – To the Limit-To the Top
06 – Battle Zone
07 – Live At The Inferno
08 – Star War
09 – UXB
10 – 20-21
11 – Hold Back the Fire
12 – Chain Saw
BONUS TRACKS:
13 – Crash Bang Wallop
14 – Run Them Down
15 – Hard Rock (from ‘Crash Bang Wallop’ EP, Released 1982)
16 – 20-21 (Out-Take)

All For One [1983]
01 – Take Control
02 – Mind Over Metal
03 – Sledgehammer Rock
04 – All For One
05 – Run Silent Run Deep
06 – Hung, Drawn & Quartered
07 – Break The Chain
08 – Take It Away
09 – Seek & Destroy
10 – Athletic Rock
BONUS TRACKS:
11 – Born To Be Wild (Single With UDO)
12 – Ballad Of Marshall Stack
13 – Inquisitor
14 – The Power And The Glory (All For One Sessions)

Live At The Inferno [1984]
01 – Intro-Live At The Inferno
02 – Take Control
03 – Mind Over Metal
04 – Crash Bang Whallop
05 – Rock Until You Drop
06 – Faster Than the Speed of Light
07 – All for One
08 – Forbidden Planet
09 – Star Wars
10 – Tyrant of the Airways-Run Silent, Run Deep
11 – Crazy World
12 – Let It Rip
13 – I.G.A.R.B.O.
14 – Wiped Out
15 – Fire Power
16 – I Don’t Need Your Money
17 – Break the Chain
18 – Hell Patrol
19 – Live At The Inferno

Lead Guitar, Vocals – Mark Gallagher
Lead Vocals, Bass– John Gallagher
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Rob Hunter

Remastered by Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham

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