Having established their name as one of the finest in modern British metal thanks to two brilliant albums – 2019 ’s Conspiracy and their 2017 debut, Darkness Will Rise – The Raven Age have garnered critical acclaim around the world, alongside a Billboard Top 40 hit in the US and over 75 million streams worldwide. They have also performed over 400 shows in 38 countries.
With their forthcoming third studio album Blood Omen released next month, via Music For Nations/Sony Music, the five-piece have just unleashed their brand new single, a marauding metal anthem called ‘Forgive And Forget’, accompanied by another epic blockbuster video.
Rushing in on a scalding lead guitar riff, ‘Forgive And Forget’ is a genre-defining, sonic stampede, upbeat and catchy, but bearing the band’s signature ambition and heaviness. “It’s about letting go of old demons and not letting unwanted memories shape your future,” explains lead guitarist and songwriter George Harris.
The Tarantino-esque video – shot in Laredo Western Town – was again conceived, produced and directed by the band themselves. “We wanted to try something completely different with ‘Forgive and Forget’”, says singer Matt James. “We wanted to follow on from our two recent singles ‘Serpents Tongue’ and ‘Parasite’ with the horror vibe but with a spin… and to see how far we could push it! Cowboys and zombies definitely felt like something unique, and we found the perfect location to make it happen!”
The creative ambition on display in the video is also evident throughout the forthcoming album Blood Omen, with the band pushing everything further than ever before. The choruses are made for arenas, the riffs are taut, direct and go straight for the jugular, and this time around the band were finally able to realise their ambitions of using real strings. “Watching a string quartet play along to our songs was a whole new experience,” says George. “They just made everything more dramatic.”
The Raven Age worked with noted British cellist arranger Audrey Riley (Foo Fighters, Muse, Coldplay) at the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance studios in London. And with long-term producer Matt Hyde (Slipknot, Machine Head, Bullet For My Valentine) recording the record, final mastering was put into the treasured hands of Mika Jussila at Finnvox (Nightwish, Children of Bodom, HIM).
Bringing these strands together The Raven Age have crafted a grand musical stage on which the record’s concept plays out, continuing the story of the Raven King which has been developing since Darkness Will Rise. And they will be delivering the same grand passion and power when they bring it to life on concert stages across the UK and Europe this year.
Currently on tour with Iron Maiden, alongside playing some of the biggest rock and metal festivals this summer, The Raven Age embark on their own major headline tour in the autumn.
THE RAVEN AGE TOUR DATES 2023
June
- 7th – Bergen, Koengen *
- 9th – Sölvesborg, Sweden Rock
- 11th – Leipzig, Quarterback Immobilien Arena *
- 13th – Krakow, Tauron Arena *
- 14th – Krakow, Tauron Arena *
- 15th – Dessel, Graspop
- 19th – Zurich, Hallenstadion *
- 21st – Hannover, Zag Arena *
- 23rd – Czech Republic, Basinfirefest
- 24th – Switzerland, Heavy Load Festival
July
- 8th – London, O2 Arena *
- 11th – Amsterdam, Ziggo Dome *
- 13th – Antwerp, Sportpaleis *
- 15th – Milan, Return Of The Gods Festival
- 18th – Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi *
- 20th – Murcia, Estadio Enrique Roca *
- 22nd – Bilbao, Bizkaia Arena Bec! *
- 25th – Dortmund, Westfalenhalle *
- 29th – Frankfurt, Festhalle *
- 31st – Munich, Olympiahalle
August
- 1st – Lake Velenje, Metal Days Festival
- 2-5th – Wacken Open Air Festival
*supporting Iron Maiden
HEADLINE TOUR
- October
- 12th – Krakow, Kamienna 12
- 15th – Helsinki, On The Rocks Club
- 17th – Stockholm, Nalen Klubb
- 18th – Copenhagen, Pumpehuset
- 20th – Berlin, Badehaus
- 22nd – Prague, Futurum
- 24th – Hannover, Musikzentrum
- 25th – Uden, Del Pul
- 27th – Paris, La Maroquinerie
- 29th – Milan, The Legend Club
- 30th – Zurich, The Plaza
- 31st – Munich, Strom
November
- 2nd – Dortmund, FZW
- 3rd – Antwerp, Kavka
- 5th – London, Lafyette
- 7th – Manchester, Academy 3
- 8th – Glasgow, Attic
- 10th – Dublin, Academy 2
- 11th – Belfast, Limelight 2
- 13th – Birmingham, Asylum
- 15th – Bristol, Exchange
Blood Omen is available to pre-order here and arrives on several formats including standard transparent red vinyl, standard jewel case CD, deluxe hardcover CD with exclusive artwork and a deluxe LP version pressed on black and red splatter vinyl, housed in gatefold packaging, complete with additional and exclusive artwork.
Exclusive album merchandise is also available to purchase alongside album formats and concert tickets through the band’s official store - https://www.theravenage.com/
‘FORGIVE AND FORGET’ BRAND NEW SINGLE RELEASED
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
BLOOD OMEN NEW ALBUM OUT JULY 7TH VIA MUSIC FOR NATIONS / SONY MUSIC
AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER NOW HERE