RAVENSIRE – Iron Will EP
- by Matt Coe
- Posted on 21-01-2013
Portugal may be better known for the work of Moonspell when it comes to the metal genre, but there are other acts willing to create their own niche in the movement. Take the four-piece Ravensire- formed in 2011 and releasing this 5 song EP "Iron Will" in the fall of 2012, these gentlemen play a form of heavy metal with epic tendencies and without extraneous production techniques. 4 originals plus a cover of Wild Shadow’s "Sweet Desire" (an 80’s demo act from Portugal) give the listener a sound steeped in 80’s ethics: mid-tempo marches, slower doom-like transitions, longer, emotive soloing and vocals from bassist Rick Thor that sit over the mountain top.
"Stay True, Stand Tall" and "Facing the Wind" will get the true metal signs aloft, reminding most of the glory days of Omen and Manilla Road along with newer influences like Slough Feg and Doomsword. Is the drumming of F the smoothest you’ll hear in the metal business? Probably not: but Ravensire prefer to let the feel of the music and arrangements matter most over pristine perfect performances.
This is a decent start, and I await the full length in 2013 to see the development of the band in terms of creativity and musical interplay.