2014 marks Raven‘s fortieth anniversary. In that time, they’ve released a dozen studio albums, from 1980’s Rock Until You Drop to 2009’s comeback effort, Walk Through Fire. Their hyperactive brand of riff-heavy NWOBHM (self-described as “athletic rock”) helped influence a later wave of speed and thrash metal bands, although Raven themselves never quite achieved the same level of commercial success as their peers and followers.
Nevertheless, Raven’s best still rocks hard, and their third album, 1983’s All For One, recently landed a spot on Last Rites‘ own Essential Albums Of The 1980s. In celebration of that accolade and in belated coverage of their retrospective film, Rock Until You Drop – A Long Day’s Journey, we had the honor of asking a few questions to vocalist / bassist John Gallagher. Here’s what he had to say.
[Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted several months ago, and due to Last Rites’ site redesign, it was postponed a bit so it could be presented alongside the Essential Albums of the 1980s feature.]• • •
Last year, Raven released a retrospective DVD – it’s a history of the band’s forty-year existence, filled with live footage and interviews with many of the great bands that were directly influenced by Raven. The obvious question is: After all these years, through all the ups and downs, has there ever been a time when you thought about packing it in, or are you literally going to rock until you drop?
It’s in our DNA! There have been many, many occasions where things looked tough… but with our heritage being from Newcastle, we are fighters, and that’s kinda useful in this line of work!! The DVD will give you an idea, especially the bit about Mark’s accident – we didn’t know if he’d ever walk again. Pretty much everything this band has achieved has been a long hard battle.
As you pull together four decades of historical content, and as you hear the praise from all the bands who owe so much to you, what moments in Raven’s lengthy and crazy history stand out as particularly over-the-top? Which songs from all these years really sum up the band’s sound?
That’s tough! Instantly I remember a festival in Holland in 1983, the Aardschock festival. We came on stage, the crowd went nuts, pushed against the stage, and literally LIFTED the damn thing up!!! Also the first time we played Italy, the crowd tore down the wall divider that gave us our dressing room. It looked like a zombie attack! Back in Germany, earlier this year, Mark flew a guitar about 30 feet up, and when it landed the “bang” was louder than his stack!! As for songs: “Mind Over Metal,” “On & On,” “Gimme A Break”… They pretty much say it all.
Raven has long been hailed as one of the most energetic live bands in all of rock. The live footage in the DVD certainly corroborates that – you guys never stop moving, and you’re clearly having a great time performing. Is playing live still the same thrill as it was when the band was starting out and lighting up the Newcastle clubs? I watched all the footage from Japan in 2009, and I can’t help but ask: How do you still hit those high notes whilst running around, and how does Mark still jump around after almost losing both his legs nearly a decade ago?
Yes, live is what it’s all about – and I think we are playing better than ever. At each show, there’s something different… We jam in parts & add to songs, change pieces up, and it’s all spontaneous. When we get up there, it’s just a lot of fun for us. The audience can see this, and it all spirals outta control from there. After all, if we aren’t having fun, why would the crowd? I’m lucky and take pretty good care of my voice. As for Mark, man… I don’t know. At that gig [in Japan], in the middle of his solo, he ran across the stage and did a knee slide… I did not think I’d ever see him do that again – it blew my tiny mind!
The last new Raven record, 2009’s Walk Through Fire, was very well received, putting to rest any suspicions that the band wouldn’t recover from Mark’s unfortunate accident. When can we expect the next Raven album?
We are writing and reviewing songs & hope to get in the studio at some point [later in 2013], which will be tough as we have a full plate gig-wise… But I’m excited – we set the bar high with Walk Through Fire, and I know we have some killer songs this time around, so probably mid-2014?
Raven was one of NWOBHM’s star acts, and you guys have multiple critically acknowledged classic records. Why is it so damn hard to find those records these days? Any plans for further reissues of Rock ‘Til You Drop, Wiped Out, All For One…?
That’s a tough question. Of course, we do not own the rights [to those records], but these things seem to be reissued every 10-15 years, so we will have to see…
Speaking of All For One, that album was (quite rightfully) included in Last Rites’ 100 Most Essential Albums Of The 1980s. (Raven’s first three records were all nominated, but the rules of the feature dictate only one record from each band.) What can you tell us about the making of that record? Any funny studio stories? What was it like working with two crazy German producers, Michael Wagener and Udo Dirkschneider of Accept?
That was crazy! Mike and Udo are certifiably nuts, so we got on great. We learned so much, and it was the first time we’d done any real pre-production. Fine-tuning the songs made a big difference, and of course, being able to walk in and knock the songs out in the first or second take is helpful. When we did ”Ballad Of Marshall Stack,” we looked up in the middle of the song, and [Mike and Udo] had fashioned Indian head-dresses out of recording tape and were “wardancing” around the control room!
When you were making All For One (or any of those early records), did you feel you were making classic records that would influence scores of bands and help kickstart what would become thrash metal (and beyond), or did you even think about such things?
No, we were just trying to make the best record we could at the time. That it has had that kind of impact is surreal and very gratifying!
That record is often hailed as Raven’s finest hour. What about it, in your opinion, sets it above the rest?
It’s happened only a few times, but that’s one album where it all came together: the right people, atmosphere, songs, playing, and the X-factor, I guess. So the album almost has a theme and just rocks from start to finish…
You guys have seen metal from day one until now (not to make you feel old or anything). What do you think of the current state of affairs? With all the retro-sounding traditional metal bands coming out in the past few years, are there any that stand out to you, any that capture the same magic that the first wave had?
It seems things are getting very healthy for metal — what I call metal anyway. Bands like Volture, Holy Grail, Cauldron, and many more are flying the flag and doing it very well! Can’t wait to see more of them!
What do the next forty years hold for Raven?
Probably a lot of Advil! US tour, then off to Europe with Girlschool… Working on the Far East for early 2014, and then South America. And working on the record in between. We are going to continue to kick ass, basically!
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[Thanks to John for taking time to answer these questions — congrats to Raven for their inclusion in the Essential Albums of the 1980s, and keep an eye out for them on tour, wherever you are. Also, thanks to Jon Freeman of Freeman Promotions for facilitating the interview. Cheers!]
