RAVAGE – Freedom Fighter

In the old days of Metal, even the Old School characters could not find the perfect Metal band. Every popular band was tagged as the biggest thing ever to appear, however, another band stepped into the Metal scene from around the corner and all the people’s eyes were set to it and the known tags would fly from one band to another. In today’s Metal scene, when Metal has gone diverse, Old Schoolers have endless cravings for something major to come their way so they would be able to feel the same rush as before. There are many Old School comebacks and many great bands are playing like the old days, but what if a band can give you the whole package of the Old School taste of Heavy / Speed / Power and Thrash, what if they are the future, tagged as “Best Young Metal Ever”. For Ravage, diversity is the key for success.

Led by the amazing vocalist, Al Ravage, the band started out in 1995 in Boston, Massachusetts. Until they lifted off Freedom Fighter, Ravage were merely releasing official live performances while changing their lineups more than a few times. They have some studio releases that consists of three EPs and one album, Spectral Rider from 2005, which was showing a huge promise as an Old School release.

Last year under SWWR Productions LLC, Ravage released Freedom Fighter, which is also considered a mere taste before the band’s new expected album, The End Of Tomorrow, that will be released in the near future. With a kind of taste like Freedom Fighter, boys and girls, you will be surely knocked down and it will make you run over to try to capture their upcoming release when the time comes.

Freedom Fighter is a true gem in musical terms because it engulfs all the early sub-genres of Metal in the 80s, blends them and spins them into gold which is well worth the experience.

Producer Peter Rutcho, who worked with Ravage on the production, has really given all to create the ultimate Old School magic, while using modern ways of recording – You can actually hear Iron Maiden, Grave Digger, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Metallica, Exodus, Heathen and even some bits of Slayer in one single production – what can be more fun than that?

Al Ravage himself sounds like a crossbreed between Bruce Dickinson and James Hetfield and is presenting himself as a future star among many Old School vocalists.

Back to the production… the guitars are diverse and well produced with power, depth and crushing distortion sound. The solos are exquisite along with amazing melodic harmonies between the guitarists that make it sound like Helloween / Iron Maiden chants of glorious days gone by. The drumming is just out of this world, Ravage introduces you to a massive drummer with a killer ability that produces some incredible Speed demon rhythms. Last but not forgotten is a great bass work that provides various lead bass sections, not Steve Harris lead features, but close enough.

You can’t talk about highlights regarding Freedom Fighter because everything here is magic and with an undeniable obsession to want more of Ravage. “Freedom Fighter” is just to show you with whom you are messing with, a killer speedster with a destructive heaviness, solos – you name it – it’s all there for you, Heavy / Power / Speed at its best.

Gamma Ray fans will probably notice that the opening verse much resembles something from Powerplant. Damn Nation, just call Uncle Sam to knock on your door. This one continues the party with excellence. “The Shredder” is a piece of Thrash / Speed / Heavy killing machine with no mercy. Here Al Ravage shows a bit of high pitched Chris Boltendahl style of singing.

“Grapes Of Wrath”, drink the ultimate juice of good Heavy Metal music with sheer sparks of melody – a killer tune. “A Captive Of Sin” is the whole damn blend of all Old School sub-genres that creates a whole load of riffs. “Be Quick Or Be Dead” a very good cover for the Gods of Heavy Metal. Al Ravage is singing it rather well and shows his depthy voice ability.

So people, there you have it, the taste of things to come, with hope, their new record will deserve a full 10/10 rate. Not a while ago Ravage signed with Brian Sleigel’s Metal Blade Records, which a huge stepping stone for the guys. Good Luck !!