Space Raven

First a few words from Mark about Hensch's Hometown Heroes

Hometowns. Despite the fact it can sometimes be difficult to admit, we all have them. So do bands. Every band, be they radio flash-in-the-pans, legends who completely redefine their fields, or eternal unknowns doomed to a complete lack of notoriety, has a hometown.

That's where I come in. My name's Mark Hensch....and these are my hometown heroes. These are bands unsigned or simply unknown, their public relations machines being nearly non-existant. They're just getting started...or maybe they've languished in the musical netherworld known as career obscurity for way too long. Regardless, I've found them, and I'm shining my spotlight on something none of you have never heard...chances are neither have I.

So that's why "Hensch's Hometown Heroes" exists. There are tons of great bands out there, just getting started, in hometowns all over the world. In the world now christened the Global Village, bands that constitute local acts to me or you might be all the way across the globe. I promise you the most interesting and/or talented upstarts from all over the Planet Earth, and I recommend you experiment with them yourselves...you'll never know what future beacons of genius are lurking just round the corner in any town in existence, or what crappy band was accidentally unearthed from beneath the ten-ton rock of suckitude that should still be keeping them down. The choice is yours to make, and the fun is in the discovery. Let's rock, and let's ride!

-Mark Hensch

Space Raven - Singles Demo

Every once in a while, I find myself seeking those bands who are unsigned, brand-new, looking for breaks. There's something amazing in that; I could be hearing the next big thing...or, maybe I'll just have a kick-ass band that remains free of the oppressive grips of conformity and mainstream appeal. Either way, it's very awesome being a writer for a site like this and being able to focus the spotlight on bands just getting started, as in many cases some of these reviews have led to long-term relationships that have spanned entire musical careers, ever growing and evolving.

Enough prattling. The band on tap here is Tasmania's recently formed doom metal band Space Raven. Surfing around a couple well-tread sites I enjoy, I found these guys by accident and saw that they've just put out a three song demo. Getting in touch with the band, I scored MP3s, and to my utter delight, haven't been able to stop spinning them for the last two or three days. Here's why:

Though the total length of this demo is less than twenty minutes, the music on tap here is superb. The production, the first thing to suffer on so many demos, is extraordinary. In fact, I'd go so far as to call it "perfect" for a doom metal demo. It has major-label clarity and sound, yet a texture of fine, barely noticeable fuzz that adds that much buzz and distortion to the music, making it sound that much doomier, gloomier, and sludgier. Oh, on the topic of sludge-doom, that's what this sounds like. Electric Wizard, Yob, Black Sabbath, High on Fire, maybe even a tad of the Melvins. Interestingly enough the band quotes themselves as once intending to play a "more spacey Hawkwind-like direction" which ironically enough shines through with a tiny glimmer here and there. But don't get me wrong; psyche/space rock influences or not, this is organic, hypnotic, crushing, sludgey, doom; all of the highest order no less. 

"Battles, Heros, Witches, and Women" kicks things off with a strangely seerish voice ranting and raving. It conjured images of a creepy hunchback with one glaring vulture eye and a couple of festering sores foretelling of impending doom. Ironic aye, as doom is what follows next. The song slinks into your ears with a spacey little rhythm and slowly building drums; things kick into overdrive as huge, mammoth riffs bombard the listener and strange vocals float in-and-out with an odd ethereal quality. The more I listen to this track, the more I think that guitarist/vocalist Will Fried is very subtle with the immense amount of talent given him. For a demo track, this tune is surprisingly complex. Take the sudden outburst of violent sludge rock avalanche towards song's end, and the well-hidden guitar parts rounding out the rousing yet understating climax...or what you think is the climax until a new set of doom riffs hits you like a truck right in the rib cage. The largely ambient "Phased Spiral of Anti-Matter" is an odd jaunt through Sunn-O)))'s set should it be played at a Hawkwind tribute festival.

Completely instrumental, the song's billowing textures of translucent sound definitely rings interstellar. Like any good drone-doom tracks, the song is so repetitive (on purpose) yet laced with subtle symbols of change that after a while you start to hear tiny sounds in your head that may or may not be in the actual song...eerie to be sure. "Black Trance Dream" straight, no-frills sludge doom. It also throws a surprise at you or two with a distortion-freakout mid-song that is pretty swank.

All-in-all, this is one slice of nice, deep-fried, doom. So short yet well-done, I'd actually consider using it as a "gateway drug" if you will for non-doomsters. Relatively fast-paced (due to the length) for doom, a tiny teaser like this would probably sound sweet to someone not experienced in normally jamming to fifteen minute doom metal songs. This is just the start; my instincts tell me next demo (or should I hope for a full-length?) will be even better. If you like your music so heavy it sounds like a mudslide cascading down a hill towards your house, Space Raven is the band for you. Keep your eyes on this one.

For More on Space Raven
For contacting purposes, a band bio, pictures, MP3s, or the demo itself, please visit the Space Raven Website at: http://www.spaceraven.tk

Downloads/song-streams can be found at http://spaceraven.metalhordes.com/

Space Raven can be e-mailed at metal_liege@yahoo.com.au