Raven. Screamin' Down The House (1985-1988) (4 CD)

With John Gallagher on bass and vocals, and Mark Gallagher on lead guitar, they played their first gig in 1976, building up a loyal following across the North East of England. A demo recorded in 1978 brought them to the attention of the newly formed Neat Records, by which time they had formed a power trio with Rob “Wacko” Hunter on drums.
Neat Records released their debut 45 ‘Don’t Need Your Money’ in 1980, followed by the albums Rock Until You Drop, Wiped Out and All For One, plus the concert collection Live At The Inferno, becoming a huge influence on the emerging American thrash and speed metal bands such as Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica. Championed by Kerrang! and Sounds in the UK, Raven could now been found in the pages of Circus and Hit Parader across the pond.
Inevitably attracting the attention of major labels in the United States, they were snapped up by Atlantic Records, relocating from Newcastle to New York in 1984. Their Atlantic debut, 1985’s ‘Stay Hard’ (CD1), featured the single and MTV favourite ‘On And On’. Recorded in New York, ‘Stay Hard’ found Raven moving towards a more commercial sound with the singles ‘Restless Child’ and ‘Pray For The Sun’, as well as a reworking of ‘Hard Ride’, originally from their Neat debut LP. After making a significant dent in the Billboard 200, ‘Stay Hard’ was followed by ‘The Pack Is Back’ (CD2), released in 1986. Recorded at the famed Bearsville studio with renowned producer Eddie Kramer, ‘The Pack Is Back’ featured a more radio-friendly sound, featuring the singles ‘Gimme Some Lovin’’ and ‘The Pack Is Back’.
Eschewing the more commercial direction they had taken with their first two Atlantic albums, the five track ‘Mad’ EP (CD2) was produced by the band themselves in 1986. Raven left Atlantic following 1987’s ‘Life’s A Bitch’ (CD3), their last record to feature drummer Rob “Wacko” Hunter. Influential American rock and metal label Combat Records were the perfect home for their seventh full-length album, ‘Nothing Exceeds Like Excess’ (CD4) in 1988. Now featuring Pentagram drummer Joe Hasselvander, Raven had once again opted to produce the album themselves. As well as an extensive essay from NWOBHM expert John Tucker, this 4CD set also features an extensive booklet featuring rare imagery and memorabilia.