Release date: out now!

Charging forward from Florence, Italy, the band Raways is a New Wave of Trad. Metal group that of course, plays Heavy Metal in its most classic and traditional form; with Leonardo Trevisan on Vocals, Davide Martini and Cosimo Trevisan on guitar duty, Mirko de Angelis on Bass, and Francesco Cocchetti on drums.

The band began under the name “Rawlerz” a little over 10 years ago (2014-2016) and after 7 of inactivity/ hiatus, the band was revived under the name of “Raways”, as a direct reference to the title on their 2016 album (Raways, 2016). Fast-forward, under a new name and a refreshed, energized attitude, Raways is proud to announce the official release of their latest album, “Raw Takes Vol. 2” which is out now !

Review

Cyber Oppressor is the album’s opening track, and straight away it is a hard kicker. It begins with that classic upbeat tempo and sound that also reminds me of Ambush’s sound. That new, refreshed sound but also that traditional and melodic sound that creates a very smooth transition between the more galloping, speedy tempos through the song. Vocals by Leonardo Trevisan are really flowy and powerful at the same time which meshes in really well with the band’s overall sound. The track is a great opener and introduction to the album and the band as well!

Fate of Man begins with a slow and easy intro, that is similar to the opening of a ballad. But be not fooled, the song switches up to a quicker upbeat and lively feel, tempo and sound. Although the song is less intense than “Cyber Oppressor” so far, but it is still an interesting piece that seems to dance around with slow melodic parts and more quicker changes throughout the track.

Constrictor is a nice tune with an easy going pace and tone, along with the authentic rawness from the recording that you can hear right away. It is more of a track for a easy listening moment, it’s pleasant and still a solid track with a colorful flow and smoothness throughout the song with the progressions, the tempos, and tones. Another note: guitar solos are absolutely a highlight in this track, reminding me of those classic early 80s solos you hear in classic heavy metal songs from back in the day.

Digital Priest immediately got me hooked and almost curious in a way, but I was surprised by the change in direction that the song took. I was honestly expecting something very slow, melodic, almost kind of ballad style of song based on the initial few seconds of the song and my initial reaction, but it builds up with a snap to a firm, demanding, steady pace and tone that match the lyrical content of the track. Honestly, this one is by far one of my favorite ones, the band does a great job with delivering that classic, nostalgic 80s sound and to me it is more noticeable with this track!

Children of The Afterworld is one of the tracks that begins straight up to the point, assertive. Somehow, with the lyrical content and song structure reminded me that of like an early Maiden song mixed with something else that you would hear/ pick up from other bands included in the NWOBHM with of course, hints of the more modern sound that is upbeat and with the added bounce to the mood of the song. Overall, this track was also one of my personal favorites, also loved how I could hear the strong sturdy sound of the bass all through the song. Great Stuff!

Then You’ll See Me is the last original track on the album, it is a heavy metal ballad that is of course heartfelt, and feels almost personal as well to a certain level. It is literally the kind of song that would make you take your lighter out and hold it up high at a show, it is also really good and I would say memorable too. It’s nicely written and also nicely structured, the guitar work, drumming work is tight and gives a rich, whole sound that gracefully accompanies the theme of the song. Definitely one of my favorites on the album as well!

The band also included a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways“. Even though of course it’s a cover, Leonardo’s vocal delivery, pitch and timbre fit insanely well with this track, he gives the song justice for sure. And of course, the band in general does an awesome job encapsulating the energy of the song. It is not an exact copy of the original of course, because the band also does an amazing job with maintaining their own original sound. Absolutely great cover.

The second cover that is also included, is from the Prince of Darkness’ famous and well known track, “Crazy Train”. I actually really loved this cover as well, I could hear some slight changes here and there with the guitar work to give the cover the band’s own twist to the original. The tone and rawness of the guitars was one of the factors that grasped my attention the entire time, in which I also believe they did justice to guitar legend, Randy Rhoads’ work. And once again, Leonardo’s vocal take to the song gave it another interesting twist to the song with his powerful, yet clean, crisp and soulful voice. Kick ass cover. (Long Live Ozzy!)

And Lastly, the third cover and album closer, is the band’s take on “The Evil That Men Do” by THE metal gods Iron Maiden. This track being one of my personal, all time favorite maiden tracks and Maiden fan I was really excited to dive into this cover of it. I actually enjoyed and appreciated this cover a lot, it gave me the impression of this group of guys that just love to play music and honor the bands that influenced a lot of the newer groups and the genre as a whole. It feels like an honest and fun cover, with the band still maintaining their own sound, twists and delivery. Really awesome and cool cover, absolutely dig it.

Conclusion

With of course gathering all my thoughts and initial reactions, It is safe to say that I really enjoyed the album and the band’s overall work and passion that they put into the album itself. I think it gave a good and strong idea of what the band is capable of bringing and presenting in this new and revitalized era for the group. They delivered what they promised, which was honoring the sound of traditional heavy metal and contributing to the growing movement of the New wave of Traditional Metal. The album is great as a comeback from their hiatus, and it is absolutely worth checking out as I believe it is a small hidden gem of honest and authentic heavy metal. Will be on the look out for any future releases/ work from Raways!

TheNwothm Score: 8/10

Links

Bandcamp:https://elletea.bandcamp.com/album/raw-takes

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Elle-Tea/100091776204843/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/raways.band/?hl=en

Label:https://elletea.bandcamp.com/