All for One (Shm-CD) [Limited Edition, SHM-CD, Import]

This is a great album. And very original, as it was released in the magic time in the early 80's when metal in general was still developing and more underground, before pop and death metal became the main popular forms shortly after 1983/84 or so. The early 80's were a more creative time in metal. Metal was not as subcategorized yet either back then. Terms like "death metal" or "pop metal" metal weren't really used yet. Metal was metal. But when pop and death metal came out soon after and became the predominant forms of metal, then the subcategorizing of metal began. I would say that Raven on this album (1983) and prior would now be considered "old school metal" or "early british metal" or "speed metal" as they are in the vein of late 70's / early 80's Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Accept. Raven is high energy, fast rock/metal, no stupid boring death metal crap here. This came out before all that crap got going. Still sounds relatively fresh in an old school traditional rock way, compared to all the death metal crap that came after it which all sounds the same. Death metal is such a limited subgenre by definition, and hence has little room for creativity or growth. This album is very heavy, fast and energetic in that early 80's way. Almost more rock than metal. However, as pop and death metal became the only kinds of metal soon after this album was released, Raven's speedy rock/metal was seen as dated, so they choose to sell out and do pop metal albums after this, so this is their last true album.

Why, it's caveman Metal! This is Metal for low forheaded subhumans with alcoholic diarrhea who want to drag the entire scene back to 1983. This is Metal for those refusing to pull off their bullet belts and drainpipe jeans, cut their mullets off and take showers. When I first listened to this album, visions of a urin stained mattress covered with dirty briefs and surrounded by whiskey bottles, Heroin needles and Hustler magazines entered my mind. Forget this traditional Metal trash and listen to At the gates' "Terminal spirit disease", Bathory's "Hammerheart", Immortal's "Pure holocaust" and Death's "Symbolic".

UP DEE IUNZ DUUUUUUUUUUUDZ! DUMDADADUMDADADUMDADADUMDADADUM....

So click the "Not helpful" button already!

First of all, I don't know why it is written, at the side of the album title ALL FOR ONE, the word "LIVE".

This is not a live recording, it's RAVEN's third studio release, by many considered their best moment, before they were signed to Atlantic Records and, pushed hard for obtaining commercial success and expressive sales in the US, made one of the most amazing sell outs in metal history, releasing the "abominations" STAY HARD and THE PACK IS BACK, and burying whatever chances they ever had of really making it big...

ALL FOR ONE is in-your-face metal. Hard. Vicious. Deadly. John Gallagher's mesmerizingly gutted vocals were never better than here, while his brother Mark Gallagher handles all the six strings alone, displaying great skill. The tracks are all killers, and the album has a better production than their first two albums, ROCK UNTIL YOU DROP adn WIPED OUT, both of them, along with ALL FOR ONE, considered absolute classics of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.