The Raven Age - Live - The Cathouse - wilfulpublicity

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Review By Darren McIntyre

The Raven Age are a modern British metal band from London, England who were originally formed in 2009. The boys have given us 3 studio albums Darkness Will Rise 2017, Conspiracy 2019 & their blistering new offering Blood Omen 2023, and 1 EP The Raven Age 2014 & with 10 singles, this has allowed them to share the stage with colossal heavyweights British Lion, Iron Maiden, Tremonti, Anthrax & Killswitch Engage. Tonight the boys stop off in Glasgow @ The Cathouse to bring us their Blood Omen Tour.

Raven Age at The Cathouse—what a night of sonic immersion! From the first chord to the final encore, they delivered a relentless storm of melodic metal that electrified the venue. The stage presence was nothing short of a tempest; George Harris and Tommy Gentry’s guitar work was a frenetic dance of power and finesse, weaving a tapestry of riffs that ensnared the crowd.

Matt James, with his powerhouse vocals, soared above the instrumentation, guiding us through tales of resilience and introspection. His ability to connect with the audience was palpable, a true master of engaging the crowd. The rhythm section, led by drummer Jai Patel and bassist Matt Cox, provided the thunderous heartbeat that propelled the entire performance.

The setlist was a well-crafted journey, blending tracks from their latest album with established fan favourites. Tracks like the opener “Changing Of The Guard” resonated deeply, each note hitting with precision and emotion. The energy was infectious, uniting the room in a collective euphoria that only a live metal show can conjure.

We strapped ourselves in as the boys kicked in the doors with the awesome “Parasite” hitting us firmly between the eyes as the temperature sharply rose in The Cathouse tonight as the boys offloaded with real musicianship that was on the money tonight. The place was bouncing and really ready for this onslaught from these London boys as they brought it tonight in Glasgow.

Next to hit us was the haunting melodic “The Day The World Stood Still” which just erupted into life with their shredding guitar-driven riffs that were wrapped in a colossal rhythm section that Jai was controlling from the back of the room, we are getting the full works tonight as the boys bring us a slick well-oiled machine that is building and building for sure, the place is heaving with horns up and fists pumping as Matt & the boys drive their juggernaut straight through the heart of Glasgow tonight.

As the night progresses we are handed a solid powering section that includes the epic “Essence Of Time”, “Forgive & Forget” and the the incredible “Nostradamus” that just exploded into the crowd with a real vengeful riff that had us all singing and getting behind this fantastic outfit as they deliver hit after hit that really gets the juices flowing. The boys are hitting us with epic shredding riffs, and full-on basslines that are delivered perfectly by Matt as he bellows out Let Me Hear You Glasgow which brings a huge cheer from this swelling audience.

The setlist was a real mixture of their back catalogue & their stunning new offering Blood Omen which was going down a storm as the crowd were really digging the new material, we stepped back in time to take in the fantastic “Salem’s Fate” which really got the place rocking. The boys chose this setlist carefully as it dipped it’s toes in albums Darkness Will Rise & Conspiracy that reminded us just how good these boys really are.

“Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier”, the place is a sweating mess as Jai comes at us with a pounding double bass drum salvo that is joined by the electrifying twin guitar attack from George & Tommy as this track erupts with a solid full-on pounding snare drum beat that is wrapped in the colossal melodic vocals of Matt as he stands front and centre and controls the crowd with his epic tones that are just incredible. We power through a real mixture of soulful tracks with real heavy hitters filling every corner of this grand old place tonight.

The boys stop for a second and really thank us for coming out to support them as they know that Glasgow has always been loyal to TRA which draws a huge cheer. The guys hit us with a real solid mid-set that brings us “War In Heaven”, “Seventh Heaven” & the incredible “The Journey”, we hold our breath before we are hit with the thundering power bursting drum ravaged killer “Angel In Disgrace” that really gets this place moving as the gritty rasping guitar licks work well with the soulful melodic vocals that are wrapped in the killer rhythm section that is powering from the back of the room.

We power through hits like “Tears Of Stone”, and “Serpent’s Tongue” and slip into the epic “Grave Of The Fireflies” that begins with haunting soulful vocals that have sweet guitar picks to really let this track come to life. We get a deep full on bassline that wraps itself around this colossal track that just explodes into life with pounding drum beats that let the boys really cut loose and bring a shuddering monster track that really grabs us and shakes us with such vigour that we are just waiting to be taken to another place as we reach the last track of this epic setlist as we stroll into.

“Fluer Di Lis” is a powering beast of a track that lets the boys shred out and bring us a pounding rhythm section that is hitting us with solid snare drum punches that are helped by bass kicks that are wrapped in the twin salvo of guitar licks that take this track to another place as the crowd are lapping up every morsel from this electrifying unit as they came, saw & conquered Glasgow tonight, the boys take the plaudits from this adoring crowd and are throwing out high 5’s and posing for shots as they leave the stage for the last time

The Raven Age at The Cathouse was not just a concert, it was an experience—a testament to the band’s prowess and their ability to create an unforgettable night for their fans. These guys are undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with in the metal scene, and their live performance only solidifies their place as a band destined for greatness.

The Raven Age –

Matt James – Lead Vocals

George Harris – Guitars

Tommy Gentry – Guitars

Matt Cox – Bass / Backing Vocals

Jai Patel – Drums

Setlist –

Intro – Changing Of The Guard

Parasite

The Day The World Stood Still

Essence Of Time

Forgive & Forget