RAVEN Announces Fall 2018 North American Tour

In between recording a scorching new studio album and a European tour opening for SAXON, veteran British/American heavy metal trio RAVEN has announced a 27-date North American tour with EXTINCTION A.D. and MOBILE DEATHCAMP. The trek begins on November 1 in Houston, Texas and runs through December 1 in Jonesboro, Georgia.

"We are firing on all cylinders right now in Europe and are looking forward to blasting out a revised headline set with a few surprises!" says frontman and bassist John Gallagher.

Tour dates:

Nov. 01 - Houston, TX @ Concert Pub North
Nov. 02 - Ft. Worth, TX @ The Rail Club
Nov. 03 - El Paso, TX @ Joey's Badcompany *
Nov. 04 - Mesa, AZ @ Club Red
Nov. 06 - Fullerton, CA @ The Slidebar
Nov. 07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go
Nov. 08 - San Francisco, CA @ Thee Parkside
Nov. 09 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Lounge
Nov. 10 - Seattle, WA @ Tony V's
Nov. 11 - Vancouver, BC @ The Wise Hall
Nov. 12 - Spokane, WA @ The Pin
Nov. 14 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Urban Lounge
Nov. 15 - Denver, CO @ Hermans Hideaway
Nov. 16 - Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
Nov. 17 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews *
Nov. 18 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Bigs Bar
Nov. 19 - Minneapolis, MN @ Lee's Liquor Lounge
Nov. 20 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
Nov. 21 - Ft Atkinson, WI @ Hijynx
Nov. 23 - Westland, MI @ The Token Lounge
Nov. 24 - Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck
Nov. 25 - Rochester, NY @ The Montage
Nov. 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Kingsland
Nov. 27 - Clifton, NJ @ Dingbatz
Nov. 28 - Frederick, MD @ Café 611
Nov. 29 - Chesapeaker VA @ The Riffhouse
Dec. 01 - Jonesboro, GA @ Furnace 41

*No MOBILE DEATHCAMP

RAVEN is putting the finishing touches on its new album for a tentative early 2019 release. The follow-up to 2015's "ExtermiNation" will mark the band's first effort with new drummer Mike Heller (FEAR FACTORY),who replaced Joe Hasselvander last year.

Speaking to Mark Taylor of Record Collector magazine before RAVEN's September 5 concert in London, John Gallagher said: "We have a new album in the can, which features this lunatic" — referring to Heller — "very heavily. We're very excited about it. It's definitely a jump forward. There's some very fast music on it, but it's very quirky and melodic at the same time, so there's a real dichotomy in that, which is always in the best RAVEN music anyway."

Added guitarist Mark Gallagher: "Actually, the record needs a little fine-tuning, some mixing, but it's pretty much done."

There are plans for RAVEN to release a live album as well, also featuring Heller behind the kit. "We were shocked when we heard the tapes," John said. "[We thought] 'Woah! This is pretty damn good.'"

Added Mark: "Live albums these days aren't really live, because there's an ability now with the technology to go in and redo stuff and fix stuff. And this record, the live album, is completely live, other than that John breaks his bass string, so we had to replace the bass on one song. But the rest of the record is completely [live] — warts and all."

"ExtermiNation" was released in April 2015 via SPV/Steamhammer.

Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN — led by Newcastle natives/brothers John Gallagher and Mark Gallagher — is perhaps best remembered for its trailblazing tours in America in the early ’80s that gave groups like METALLICA and ANTHRAX their first taste of the road.

RAVEN's albums "Rock Until You Drop", "Wiped Out" and "All For One" virtually invented both the speed metal and power metal genres, with the band consistently pushing the envelope while retaining its unique sound and attack — both in the studio and in their true element: onstage.