Raven Head - Catharsis

Raven Head from Nelson, British Columbia in Canada have had this album up for free download from their Myspace site for some time and listening to the quality of the music and the musicianship, it is really surprising they are not getting wide-spread attention. This is real classy rock music that blends many different styles from heavy Sabbath type riffs, Progressive rock in the vein of Pink Floyd and Genesis and catchy pop-ish melodies that create something truly atmospheric. The guitar attack of "Cold Lake" should get you interested from the start, the combination of heavy rolling rhythms and floating psychedelic feel is something timeless but also pretty unique in today's music world. "Epic" combines a apocalyptic riff with some cosmic shouting vocals from singer "Mike Hodsall" who also plays guitar. At over 12 minutes, it is a psychedelic journey and the mind-bending solo work has a hypnotic vibe to it. The track has a improvised feeling about it and i am not sure if the soloing is something that is structured or just jammed out but it has a real live vibe about it. Even though the songs are real lengthy, the 8 songs take up nearly 70 minutes but it never seems forced or dragged out. Every section of music seems to be a natural movement from one section to the next in the same way that Pink Floyd did it at their peak. You can picture this band doing a "Live At Pompeii" show just like Floyd, the music has that type of feeling about it, desolate and barren but extremely moving.

The track "Rosedale In Retrospect" has a some fine throbbing bass sounds at the beginning of the track and the dreamy,floaty vocals compliment it perfectly. The track is a effortless 9 minute journey into a cold dark place and the whole piece is so atmospheric it gives you the chills. "Absence" kicks off with some moody acoustic guitar playing combined with the warm vocal approach is mesmerizing. A little long perhaps, i would have like to have heard a heavy section thrown in there but still its a great slice of mood music. This track features some great dreamy keyboard sounds in the background that are perfectly mixed and balanced to give off a feeling of pure melancholy and sadness. A very emotional moving piece of music, beautifully arranged and played with real warmth and feeling. "Feast Of Flames" is more Floydish dramatics, starting off very mellow, the track slowly builds and at around the 5 minute, once again the use of keyboards for dramatic effect are very well done. The guitar work is outstanding and really shines on this track, the runs this guy plays are breath-taking but also full of so much feeling and taste. This band plays like seasoned veterans of the music world, like i said earlier its amazing they are not already a huge band. It also must be noted the music has a real visual quality to it so picturing this band on stage covered in laser's and a stunning light show is pretty easy to imagine.

Its not all trippy, mellow stuff however, they also have some heavy moments like in "Burning Sun" which has a powerful thick riff and like everything on this album it has some real catchy hooks, both musically and vocal wise. The riff change at around 4 minutes into the track is incredible and is perfectly executed. Its like they have a natural instinct on how to arrange and construct music with finesse and a abundance of taste. The guitar playing is both hypnotic, mesmerizing but also extremely tasteful like its the work of the 70's master guitar players like Gilmour, Page, Blackmore etc etc. "Resting Place" has a real early 70's Canterbury Progressive Rock vibe, anybody into bands like Caravan will know what i am talking about. Moody and always moving but also kind of quirky especially when the big riff comes in sounding like the work of "Alex Lifeson". This band really knows how to mix up sounds and influences and make it sound so natural. "The End" is not the Doors song but its equally as dramatic, a mellow intro leads into some heavy guitar sounds with a swirling riff that echoes the sound of classic Rush. Its another lengthy track but the track moves along so much emphasis on natural musical progressions that it all seems seamless with the song never stretching too long for its own good. This is a album to chill out to late at night or a perfect album for those hungover mornings, its also a beautiful piece of Progressive Rock with enough heavy sections to keep 70's rock purists happy. Psychedelic Rock fans will also admire the cosmic vibe of the album, its a pity i have already done my top 40 of 2009 list because this really deserves a place in it even though i think it was recorded in 2008. Cant wait to see where this band goes in the future, their potential is limitless. 10/10

www.myspace.com/ravenheadband