If loud metal is what you like – The Raven Age are for you. But what is it that influences a band to get so loud? Jai, drummer of The Raven Age, takes on our Desert Island Discs challenge.
Waking The Fallen – Avenged Sevenfold:
This is my all time favourite album. You just cannot beat songs like ‘I Won’t See You Tonight (Part 1)’, ‘Remenissions’, ‘Second Heartbeat’ and everyone’s favourite ‘Unholy Confessions’. Every song is special and has everything I like in a metal album: Amazing singing and screaming, quality guitar riffs and solos, incredible drumming (from my all time favourite drummer, The Rev) and perfect song writing.
City Of Evil – Avenged Sevenfold:
I know I’ve already picked one A7X album, but I couldn’t leave ‘City of Evil’ behind. This record blew me away, and watching The Rev play ‘Beast and the Harlot’ on YouTube was one of the reasons I started drumming. Avenged Sevenfold again show off their incredible song-writing and instrumental skills and although M Shadows stopped screaming it didn’t have a negative effect, it just meant there were more songs to sing along to. With a voice like mine, it’s probably best I do that on a desert island actually!
Messengers – August Burns Red:
The first song I heard from this album was ‘Back Burner’ and I was hooked instantly. It set the tone for the whole album: Super heavy, lots of breakdowns, crazy time signatures and immense musicianship. Matt Greiner is up there one of my favourite drummers too and his creativity really shows on this record in tracks like ‘The Blinding Light’ and ‘Composure’ along with the sound of his china cymbal which is the best china cymbal I’ve ever heard! It’s brutal.
That’s The Spirit – Bring Me The Horizon:
I think BMTH really surprised everyone with ‘That’s The Spirit’. It’s so different to anything they did before it’s taken them to another level and although they’ve changed over the years I’ve not heard many complaints about that because they’ve just been bringing out great song after great song. All 11 tracks on this record are pure anthems and I can’t get enough of the chorus of ‘Drown’. Masterpiece.
Follow The Reaper – Children of Bodom:
This has arguably some of the best guitar work I’ve ever heard in one album. The riffs and solos Alexi Laiho play are unbelievable (Listen to the last 2 minutes of ‘Kissing The Shadows’) and the guitar parts have so much melody that I end up singing along to them instead of the actual vocals! The keyboardist is also phenomenal is a quality addition to the music. ‘Hate Me’ is a stand-out track for me and so is ‘Bodom After Midnight’ which takes me back to 6th form where a bunch of friends and I played the song instrumentally for the school’s Christmas concert and we got a standing ovation from all the parents and students!