Riven by Ravens – Venerate – Album Review

When I saw Porcupine Tree listed as an influence, I immediately thought, “Okay, these are my people.” And I was right. Hailing from California’s Central Valley, Riven by Ravens is a two-man progressive/alternative/melodic metal outfit composed of longtime music partners Brian Havrilla and Paul (spiritually related to Steven) Wilson. Formerly of the Ghost Army ensemble, Brian and Paul wanted to hone their skills and expand their expressiveness, and did so with the subject of this very review: Riven by Raven’s forthcoming LP, Venerate.

Does Venerate demonstrate the duo’s aggressive chops, masterful playing, immersive melodies, and conceptual, cinematic appeal? Let’s hit the highlights.

Wait. Who does what?

When you’re a band of two, the workload is considerable. Brian Havrilla tackles vocals, guitars, bass, lyrics, keys/synths, recording, mixing, mastering, and graphics. And Paul Wilson contributes equally with acoustic and electronic drums, piano, keys/synths, lyrics, vocals, and video. Now, about those highlights….

The Highlights (or, What We Really, Really Dug)

Venerate kicks off with “The Assistant.” It begins with low, ominous piano notes, brighter but still threatening chords, and a perfectly on-key vocal with its own mix of contrasting strength and insecurity. It’s a dark, perhaps gothic piece with softly hovering mid-range strings and a haunting space granted by tasteful reverb. “The Assistant” is a preview, a prologue, a musical setting of tone, and the creaking, figurative gates to Venerate are, with great effort, swung entirely open.

“A Wise Man” is here to rock; it’s rough, violent chugging over eerie synth pads. And when the verse takes shape, the chugging becomes a more discernible riff before the vocals arrive. And the chorus is more of a throaty, modern metal growling; it’s comparable to some of the band’s other influences, particularly Slipknot. “The Assistant” was, in comparison, a soft, restrained greeting. “A Wise Man” says hello with studded brass knuckles.

“Trainwreck” begins with a phasing, foreboding guitar arpeggio; it speaks to something perhaps diabolical traversing the hills towards your murky encampment. And then, electric, muted notes begin, leading to some empowering chord changes; a proud musical announcement of sorts. When the chorus arrives, it’s of that diabolical nature, but surprisingly triumphant. The song twists, like barbed wire, into different musical shapes, and does so with clever, oddly timed riffs and chugs before revisiting the chorus. GOOOOOD STUFF.

“Drift” starts with delayed, submerged guitar notes; an interesting, immediately captivating effect. The vocal soars over the initial verses until the crunchy guitars begin their sanding and drilling. It’s a straight, deep beat amidst measured ferocity until the song returns to those individual, delayed notes, and a quick, precise succession of band-accompanied notes lead to the song’s graceful ending.

“The Pieces Part I” is an instrumental prologue of sorts for “The Pieces Part 2.” It’s rubbery guitar notes, deep drum hits, and layers of belabored breaths. And when the guitar arpeggio arrives at definition, it leads immediately into “The Pieces Part 2.” This is definitely a more modern metal track with hints of the Stone Temple Pilots (which is GREATLY appreciated). And with the rap/rock vocal delivery pre-chorus, the chorus arrives to great and emotive effect. Another AWESOME track.

“Death of an Ego(maniac)” features some electronic rustling underneath chaotic guitar notes, kicking open the big, black door to dense electric guitar chords. As far as musical comparisons, I hear Tool/A Perfect Circle – more incredible influences held closely by Wilson and Havrilla. Honestly, and with the smallest application of imagination, you can hear Maynard James Keenan belting the lyrics.

“The Delusionist” hits the ground running with scraping guitar chugs and a blissfully in-the-pocket drumbeat. It sounds forceful, but the chorus leans back, slightly, and embraces something more melodic; something beleaguered, but a tad repentant.

Album finale, “Quiver of Sorrows,” produces a closely related variation of album opener “The Assistant”; it’s piano with spoken, radio-emitted lyrics. It may not close the album musically, but thematically, it closes, slowly, those black iron gates into sonically ominous, cathartic, and slanted, unearthly lands.

But is it good?

What are you doing on June 7th? No idea? Here’s what you’re doing: Purchasing Venerate. Why? Because you like authentic, adventurous, aggressive but melodic music that builds tone, themes, and cinematic imagery with particular musical architecture. Remember when music was a “sit down and experience it” endeavor? No? Well, here’s your chance to make it so.

Great music from a great duo, and I can’t wait to hear more. HIGHLY Recommended.

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BELOW: Listen to Riven by Ravens and check them out on Soundcloud, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Please support Riven by Ravens by visiting their website and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music. And, as always, thank you for supporting real music.