Gelap Pekat

Veteran British/American heavy metal trio RAVEN has scheduled the following European tour dates:

May 22 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Rock Hard Festival
Jun. 12 - Sölvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival
Jun. 19 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
Jun. 25 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
Jul. 31 - Brande bei Elmshorn, Germany - Headbangers Open Air
Aug. 01 - Kerkraade, Netherlands - The Rock Temple
Aug. 04 - Den Haag, Netherlands - Het Paard
Aug. 06 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
Aug. 07 - Deinze, Belgium - Alcatraz Metal Festival

RAVEN vocalist/bassist John Gallagher was interviewed on this past Monday's (May 3) edition of "Eddie Trunk Live" on Sirius (channel 19) / XM Radio (channel 53). You can now listen to the chat in seven parts below.

RAVEN will play a very limited number of North American dates in September/October in support of the band's new album, "Walk Through Fire".

Tickets are on sale at EnterTheVault.com and all normal ticketing systems.

"Walk Through Fire" was released in the U.S. on March 30 (one day earlier in Europe through SPV/Steamhammer) via Metal Blade Records. The CD, which came out in Japan in March 2009 via King Records, was recorded at the Assembly Line Studios with engineer/mixer Kevin 131 (PROJECT: FAILING FLESH, DECEASED, DYSRYTHMIA, GARDEN OF SHADOWS).

RAVEN's first album since 2000's "One for All" contains 14 new songs and two live bonus tracks.

In an April 2009 interview with Powerline A.D., John Gallagher stated about "Walk Through Fire", "We took a lot longer to get this one done... and usually after you record an album, you mix it quick and its done. We had the chance to sit with it and tweak it, if needed. I don't think we have ever had that luxury before, so it's got the good songs that were worked on over years in some cases — but recorded in a burst of lunacy — and then listened to and polished to a fierce shine. This album just rocks from start to finish and sounds and feels fresh — it's the real deal. It's varied but it's all 100% RAVEN!"

Regarding the band's decision to cover MONTROSE's "Space Station #5" for the new CD, John said, "We used to do it back in the clubs in the northeast of England. It seems we always come up with a fun cover and this one was cool to do. The middle part is nuts with the crime jazz/surf guitar and fretless bass, but overall it's pretty brutal."

Following a forced layoff through half of the last decade due to Mark Gallagher's long recuperation from a serious accident where Mark's legs were crushed after a wall collapsed on the musician, the band has fought back with a number of European festival appearances, a U.K. tour in 2008 and a triumphant jaunt to Japan in 2009.

RAVEN is:

John Gallagher - Vocals, Bass
Mark Gallagher - Guitar
Joe Hasselvander - Drums

Part 1: