Review by Xephyr for Ravenous (CAN) - Hubris (2021)

Power Hungry

Ravenous E.H. is a project that almost slipped through the cracks of my radar as 2021 winded down and I couldn't be more happy that I caught it before it fell to the depths of obscurity. My relationship with Power Metal has strained quite a bit over the past few years since the average release in the genre normally fails to grip me in any sort of meaningful way, even to the point where I've questioned the notion of truly enjoying Power Metal as much as I believe I do. It feels like I listen to the same generic rut of an album over and over as I make my way down the Power Metal charts each year but, eventually, an album seems to emerge out of nowhere and make me love the genre again, and Hubris rose to the occasion this year. Ravenous are a prime example of how difficult it can be to break into the modern music industry as this album was only able to have a chance at existing through a successful crowdfund during the COVID-19 pandemic. I'd say it as money well raised as Hubris has a ton of fantastic features that shows how strong the Power Metal community can be when coming together for a relatively unknown project.

Power Metal exists on a very thin tightrope between being more of the same generic clichés versus using those clichés in ways that create great songs. There aren't too many Power Metal albums that will surprise you with a distinctly new or unique sound, but when it's well written and performed it gets an extra punch that elevates it above the rest of the more forgettable projects. Ravenous have found an incredible blend of influences for themselves that may not span as many genres as they personally proclaim, but still makes them a shining highlight of the modern Power Metal scene. Through incorporating bombastic strings and choices atop memorable riffs, they're able to achieve a balance that is engrossing despite being more of the same at its core. "Carnage in Carthage" is an astoundingly catchy opener that sets up all of Ravenous' tricks early to delivery a fantastic opener that was stuck in my head for weeks, properly setting the stage for a consistent album when it comes to energy, choruses, and overall musicianship. The bass, however, is alarmingly absent in most of Ravenous' riffs and choruses and while the orchestra and choir do a decent job at taking its place, I do wish there was more bass presence throughout the album. I always enjoy having that extra layer of rumbling melody behind the lead guitar, but Ravenous manage to provide sufficient songwriting choices that caused me to forget about the absent lower end almost entirely. Their ability to weave compelling riffs with borderline cheesy orchestral and vocal sections illustrates what I love about Power Metal in its ability to be grandiose and theatrical without being boring or uninteresting.

Ravenous take the symphonic approach on most of their offerings in Hubris, but their ability to draw from Speed and even Black Metal influences keeps every song fresh and driving. Although Hubris is a Power Metal album through and through, their drummer isn't afraid to push the boundaries with his blast beats in "...Of Beasts & Faust" and frantic double bass in tracks like "The Alder Queen" and "Astral Elixir", helping to push these tracks forward despite the lacking lower end. The guitars are a bit more typical but the raging riffs in "Die 1,000 Deaths" and "Carnage in Carthage" are much more creative than your average Power Metal chord progression or chug riff, which creates an engaging foundation for the vocalist and orchestral melodies to build upon. The vocal timbre and melodies are extremely Falconer-like with sweeping triplets and sustained notes contrasting with the speedy sections in the background, but Ravenous' singer has a bit more punch and grit to him than Mathias Blad's signature smoothness. Voltaire's performance fits snuggly between being bombastic enough for the Power Metal side of Hubris while also having enough tact and training to keep up with the symphonic portion, resulting in an album that actually feels complete when incorporating so many elements that normally suck the life out of a release. "Bridgeburner" is the perfect example of how the orchestral features actually complete the track rather than bloat it as the strings provide an interesting backing melody to an otherwise standard Power Metal track.

Speaking of Blad, Hubris has a ton of features that don't exactly feel necessary but help to add a fun dimension to the album. Nina Osegueda's short vocal showcase helps to complete the story on "The Alder Queen", "Claw is the Law" is basically Ravenous' excuse to write a ripping Pirate Metal-esque track with the help of three crewmembers from The Dead Crew of Oddwood, and Vincent Jones' harsh vocals on "...Of Beasts & Faust" adds a fantastic final dimension to the extended closing track. "Onwards & Upwards" feels like the one inadequate track on the record despite it having decent album pacing coming right before "...Of Beasts & Faust" just because using Blad's vocals on a pretty generic, uplifting ballad feels like I got a bit cheated. The song is far from bad though, with Blad and Voltaire having great chemistry and harmonies throughout and the solo section being well-written as well, so it's ended up impressing me enough to stop thinking about what could have been.

Hubris was the Power Metal savior for me this year and it's an exhilarating ride from start to finish. The slightly cohesive song topics about general hubris and the need for greater power is neat as well, culminating in "Die 1,000 Deaths" being about the Street Fighter character Akuma and his signature Raging Demon super. This group of musicians have obviously been around the block in the Canadian Power Metal scene but it feels like they may have hit their strive with Ravenous as, while Hubris isn't exactly fresh, its quality compared to the rest of the current Power Metal landscape can't be ignored.