| Reviews for Raven (UK)'s Stay Hard |
| Homoerotic album. - 50% |
| Written by Sigillum_Dei_Ameth
on November 4th, 2009
|
| For the record, I am not a homophobe, let's just get this straight. But this album just makes me feel very uneasy. Right before the mind-numbing Huey Lewis and the News-inspired "The Pack Is Back", Raven's attempt to start becoming more commercial started with an album called "Stay Hard"...one of the more homoerotic albums this side of Liberace. It's a step-down from their classic sound in a more radio-friendly sound that would make Anvil sound like black metal! Although it DOES still have some NWOBHM riffs scattered about the place, there is a lot of material here that lets you know what they really want; fame and money. Nothing wrong with that, but don't do so with album's titled "Stay Hard" with an overtly homoerotic image. Rob Halford never even attempted to do that with Priest. I mean if you haven't fucking figured it out by what I am referring the homoerotic image it's the goddamn album cover. The Terminator has become The Sperminator! The music for the most part teeters between ok and weak, but not before being weighed down with a "Ugh" at both ends. Songs like "When the Going Gets Tough", "Get It Right", Restless Child", "Power And Glory" features some good riffs and sounds like it could have been the light material off "All For One". Again these songs show the more standard catchy hard rock sound they wanted to get famous with. But then comes those songs which reminds you at why this album is homoerotic. Just read the song titles! "Stay Hard", "On and On and On", "Hard Ride", "Extract The Action"...and it doesn't help when those songs are filled with material that is a shade light of Scorpions/Def Leppard/ACDC. "Pray For the Sun" starts off with a psychedelic into and then turns into a Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home"-esque ballad. Ugh. Fuck that. This album still beats "The Pack Is Back". |
| Still hard! - 89% |
| Written by Metal_Thrasher90
on March 24th, 2009
|
| It's curious how as thrash was becoming harder, louder and faster, the most succesful NWOBHM bands were getting into REALLY commercial styles. Just listen to Saxon, Raven, Diamond Head or Def Leppard (specially!) by the mid-eighties while Metallica, Slayer or Megadeth had alreaady released the most killer heavy stuff ever. Raven were following the 80's glam metal trend by 1985, and not only with their music. They later admited it was a big mistake, that's clear if you just compare "The Pack Is Back" with any of their first 3 records. But this one, "Stay Hard" still rocks heavy and the original Raven sound is still there, although it's affected by a focused commercial production. All the songs here are remarkable raw speed metal tunes, but specially their biggest hit "On And On",a really catchy song which can perfectly be considered a NWOBHM anthem. It's also one of the few band's visual stuff from the 80's. The re-recorded version of their debut album "Rock Until You Drop" classic "Hard Ride" is also a sensible choice, the solos are wilder than the original version and John Gallagher's vocals are even crazier. "Get It Right", the amazing "Extract The Action", "Restless Child" or "When The Going Gets Tough" are full of amazing riffs, fast solos and that proves that the aggression and speed of the early Raven sound was still alive. "Pray For The Sun" was the first band's ballad (not love song, not like Saxon or other bands did) and its just as brilliant as any other song on this album. So the result is really honest and enjoyful, not even the commercial production by Michael Wagener (curiously a legendary killer metal producer) affected notably the final result: a great dispaly of athletic rock (as they described themselves, but its obviously METAL!). Raven still stayed hard by that time, their next album its another part of the story...I gotta admit that I don't think you can honestly put these discs on the same level as the first ones, but they are still good albums. The remastered edition contains some track from the awesome "Mad Ep" from 1986, also great stuff, probably even more heavy than the "Stay Hard" songs. But anyway, this album is really underrated and I think it deserves to be inlcuded along with the considered best Raven albums, or just along with the most remarkable NWOBHM stuff ever released. |
| Its On, And On, And On, And On, And ON! - 85% |
| Written by Danthrax_Nasty
on November 20th, 2003
|
| Kicking out in '85, this album was a marked change for Raven, and some would say for the worse, but I'd disagree as the music on here alone speaks for its self. Now you can tell that Raven had changed quite abit since unleashing Rock Till You Drop 4 years earlier, and they were definitely hungry for that elusive popular acceptance, and break (and seeing it as a very real possibility), but even with this album taking a much more marketable sound, and mainstreamed feel Raven still didnt let up as far as musical creativity, and song writing talent goes. Actually, everything these guys did, no matter how mainstreamed was always totally Raven, and really thats what I love about this album so much. These guys had they're own schtick, they had they're own sound, and they, regardless of all else, had some real fucking talent. Anything else is purely subjective. The guitar riffs are a bit all over, but stick to a particularly Raven esque sound. A heavy reliance on quick chorded rythms, done in a NWOBHM fashion, but with an amped up Speed Metalish feel, and classic anthem type Heavy Metal chorus'. They stick to a fairly genre typical song structure, but accent it nicely with each members unique characteristics of sound. The guitar tone is nothing short of killer (probably one of my favorites Raven ever had) and really helps drive the riffs onward. Also, there is a plentiful supply of leads, and solo's on here some of which are pretty impressive. Raven always delivered as far as riffs were concerned, and this album also showed a bit more variety than their previous efforts, but only in a more mainstreamed type way (check out "Pray For The Sun", and "Get It Right"). The vocals mix certain tones of the singers ability, from a some what normal kinda voice to that seemingly now forgotten 80's high toned wail, the singer totally ingrains that fighting 80's youthfull spirit of anger and all out partying. Droping all humorous aspects of the lyrical content aside, which is fairly obvious "Stay Hard, Stay Wet" amongst others (also the cover, showing what appears to be a man with a woman going down on him), you can really get a feel of the times in the simplistic yet strongly original words. The chorus arrangements are very catchy and in a very traditional rock based way (great bridges also, check out "On and On" for an awesome bridge chorus structure). Overall, this album rocks. Even with its highly mainstreamed feel (Raven would soon go abit too far in this direction on "The Pack Is Back", though), and pop appeal this album still packs enough killer, and less filler to warrant my praise. These guys had more individuality than countless others, and more talent, and drive too boot. Get this if you are a fan of the band, or style. |