2019 put The Raven Age in the spotlight as future heroes of modern British metal after the release of their acclaimed second album Conspiracy in March and a tour of North and South America opening for Iron Maiden on their Legacy of The Beast .
Conspiracy , which has already surpassed 5 million streams and marks a new era for The Raven Age, full of new life and energy, has received fantastic support from leading metal publications worldwide.
The newest member, vocalist Matt James, has established himself as part of the family alongside co-founder George Harris (guitar), Matt Cox (bass), Jai Patel (drums) , and new guitarist Tony Maue after receiving praise for his powerful vocal abilities on Conspiracy , and on the live stage.
Taking advantage of his visit to Brazil, George Harris, son of Steve Harris , spoke about the metal scene, the new album, and his relationship with Iron Maiden:
– WM: First, I'd like you to tell me how the partnership between George and Dan came about.
RA: Dan and I met through our girlfriends, who are sisters. (Dan is now married, so it's his wife). When we met at their house, we discovered that we both played guitar and liked similar music. So we decided to have a jam session and it went really well. Everything flowed from there.
– WM: What's it like for you guys to be so close to one of the greatest metal bands in history, Iron Maiden?
We learned a lot from the band, who have had an incredible career and are stronger than ever. It's an invaluable experience to see how it all works.
– WM: Has this proximity ever caused any difficulties?
I think the only difficulty is people's prejudices. Some people form an opinion before even listening to our music, which I think is really stupid. But it doesn't make a difference, because we do this out of love, not because of our connections.
– WM: Your first EP was released in 2014. What is the difference between the production of that EP and that of your new album, Conspiracy ?
Well, we've had two different members in the band since then, which makes a big difference. Particularly our vocalist, Matt James. The tone of his voice is totally different from our old vocalist, but it works wonderfully well with our sound. Also, Tony Maue, our new guitarist, has brought a lot of material. Our songwriting process has expanded and our style has evolved.
– WM: What were the inspirations for the new album?
Primarily the changes in members, which made us much closer. Going through a period without our frontman was quite stressful. When we teamed up with Matt James, the excitement subsided and we focused on creating music. Conspiracy was the result of that and we're very happy.
WM: Can you tell me about the Conspiracy ?
We recorded the album in sunny Essex, north of London. The writing process was strange. We had written a lot before the change in members. And then we got together with the guys and we developed songs to match the new vocals.
– WM: I see that the response to the album has been great. Do the critics' opinions matter to you?
It's great to see that the album is being well-received and that the critics liked it. But we don't go into the studio thinking about how we can please people. We honestly write what we want to hear and enjoy. Hopefully, it seems that's the case for many other people as well, which is great. Being a new band, word of mouth helps a lot.
– WM: How would you describe your sound and what makes it special?
We describe ourselves as melodic metal. We have a mix of modern and classic metal, which I think creates a unique sound. Melody is very important to us. Obviously we love heavy sound, but the melody has to come along and play a major role in most of the tracks.
– WM: What is your view of the contemporary metal scene?
Contrary to what some people say today, I believe it continues to thrive. The metal scene, in general, will never die. There are many people who live, eat, and breathe metal. There are wonderful things emerging, and others like Parkway Drive, Ghost, and Gojira are becoming festival headliners. This shows that people are still massively into metal.
WM: Are there any bands you'd like to collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with Myrkur , she has an incredible voice and I think we could create something really cool!
