Ravenia-Beyond the Walls of Death
Are there any fans out there of film scores or trailer music? How about film score/trailer music infused with metal? Sound like an odd combination? It’s not. This music is so emotional to the point where it can elicit strong physical or emotional reactions. That is my personal experience listening to Ravenia. The first song I listened to, “We All Died for Honor,” was so emotional that I got chills and every hair stood on end…think a strong case of goosebumps. That’s how I reacted. I was completely floored by it.
To introduce you to the band a bit, they are a Finnish film score/metal band. They are comprised of Armi Päivinen (Vocals-Mezzo-soprano), Samuli Reinikainen (Guitar), Toni Hintikka (Bass), Veikko Ringvall (Drums), Ville Koponen (Violin), Erkki Lasonpalo (Violin), Janne Ahvenainen (Viola), Juuli Ilmonen (Cello), and Tommi Laitinen (Contrabass). The band has released an EP, “Wingless” and a full-length album, “Beyond the Walls of Death,” via Inner Wound Recordings, which I will be reviewing here.
The album, as a whole, is very powerful. The music does give you the impression that the songs could be used in films in some capacity. The band manages to blend the genres of metal and orchestra together very well. One would think heavy guitar riffs and double-bass drums should not go together, but it most certainly can be done, and Ravenia accomplished that perfectly! Armi Päivinen has an amazing range as a mezzo-soprano. Her voice is light and “airy,” and she is capable of shifting between the high tone to low tone with relative ease. Those songs are not easy to sing, but she is well trained, and she does an amazing job. She is an incredibly gifted singer and songwriter and I’m looking forward to hearing more from her and Ravenia in the future. Here are my Metal Mayhem Ground Shakers with a few notes with them. I have been fortunate enough to chat with Armi through Facebook, and she was gracious enough to answer some questions for me. That Q&A is also included in this review. Check them out and let us know your thoughts!!
GROUND SHAKERS ⦁ We All Died for Honor (this was the first song I heard that gave me chills. Absolutely incredible). ⦁ When Darkness Reigns (get a feeling of battling those inner demons or dealing with “ghosts” that haunt your every waking minute. I feel like this could easily be used in the battle scene of a war themed film. The drums almost sound like canons! ⦁ For Those We Forsakened ⦁ There Is But One Path ⦁ Into Oblivion
Ravenia Links Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/raveniaofficial/ Ravenia Website- http://www.raveniaofficial.com/ Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/track/3Us3NXJEqJI0EURJZxuyiv iTunes-https://itunes.apple.com/la/artist/ravenia/id1093522565