Search - Raven :: Pack Is Back

The infamous "commercial" Raven album

ctlr | 01/04/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Ah yes, here we have the ill-fated 1986 commercial metal album by British metal legends, Raven.



Early Raven fans who had followed the band from the beginning HATED this album. It was polished, over-produced, included songs with horn sections, and featured the guys in crotch-hugging spandex on the cover. It was nothing like their previous four studio albums, which featured trail-blazing raw, fast heavy metal. Dismissed by critics and reviled by fans, The Pack is Back effectively ended Raven's seemingly guaranteed ascendancy to the top of the metal world.



So, is it really that terrible? Is it just so horrible you'd as soon jam a meat thermometer in your ear than ever listen to Raven again? No. It's actually not bad. In fact, there are some pretty good songs here. The problem is the production. It's just way too slick for Raven.



But don't blame Raven. Their record label, Atlantic, pressured their producer, Eddie Kramer, to make it as commercial as possible. Raven, being starving young musicians and living in America for the first time, had little choice but to go along with the plan. They brought their fresh batch of new material into the studio only to have Kramer make them record the songs with a click-track and overdub horns and guitar synthesizers.



Next to other Raven albums, The Pack is Back stands out like a sore thumb as the least heavy. But having said that, it stands alone quite well. The title track, "Youngblood," "All I Want," and "Nightmare Ride" are timeless, well-written hard rock songs. And the cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" does not disappoint. Another highlight is "Rock Dogs". It may be the catchiest song on the album. And "Screaming Down the House" will make you want to throw a party.



If you like catchy 80s metal/hard rock (ala Def Leppard), you can do much worse than The Pack is Back. Decide for yourself and give it a listen."