WELCOME TO THE ALL NEW RAVEN’S REVEAL.
99WNRR HOST JACQUI RAVEN DISHES OUT HER
TOP DIY ARTISTS YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO.
p;p’/
Atonement Denied
This band was the very first band that I chose
from ReverbNation and when you listen to
“Time to Pay”, you will understand why they
are on Raven’s Reveal. Not only does it have
that pure metal feel, but it is just down right
feisty. The rift in this song will have you crank-
ing it up extra loud as it’s that good. Anchor-
age, Alaska are where these guys are jamming
from, and of course, who thinks metal in Alaska?
Jacqui Raven is the
Queen of all things metal
every Sunday night at
6pm est on 99WNRR.
Continued
into the society. And, in turn, the west and it’s values were strictly
forbidden there. That of course included western music. So it was a complete
surprise to the world when a music festival was announced that would be taking
place in Moscow, featuring western rock acts.
Vein
Four band members who were sitting around
watching hockey and just decided to form a
metal band, that would be VEIN. Hef, Tay-
lor, Chris and Hunter are making their mark
on the Dallas, Texas metal scene who believe
that the force that pushes the music through
our veins is what drives us. Hence, how the
band came up with the name. Since 2017, these
guys have been making a name for themselves
all over Texas. They have worked with the
legendary Sterling Winfield, who has produced
such bands as Pantera, King Diamond and Dam-
age Plan. Their ReverbNation song “All of Me”
was an instant like as you can hear every single
instrument on the song. It is so rich and powerful,
with a true metal sound...a true mosh pit song,
cotton candy and all. “All of Me” has been on
top of Raven’s Reveal for three weeks. We will
see who will knock these metal Texans off.
Icarus
The members of Icarus came together in 2017
after meeting in college. The current lineup of
Richie, George, Matt, Ben and Will, who are from
Winford, England, have a sound with inspirations
from hip hop, or as Richie says, “I take my influ-
ences and metal it up”. One of the most powerful
songs in their arsenal is “Bleeding Out”. When
I heard the song from ReverbNation, it was the
powerful bass and the singing style that won me
and the listeners over. In a recent interview, the
band shared how life’s experiences can also in-
stigate a track such as “Dear Soldier”. Ben who
plays the drums, lost his brother tragically in an
accident and the lyrics were a way for him to
heal. It’s an emotionally charged song that will
have you wanting to reach out and hug a loved
one. These lads have such a promising future and
we will be following with interest.
The Moscow Music Peace Festival took place on August 12th and 13th of
1989. Featuring Skid Row, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, and Scorpions.
Dubbed “Rock Against Drugs and Alcohol”, (yes, you read that correctly...oh
the irony!), this would be the first time western rock acts ever played in the
Soviet Union. And while many storylines come out of this festival, one of the leg-
endary ones was the story of how the classic hit “Wind of Change” by Scorpions
was birthed out of this experience. The legend goes that singer Klaus Meine
wrote the song after the experience of the Moscow Music Peace Festival. How
he walked those streets and could feel things were changing in the world. It’s
right there in the opening lyrics:
I follow the Moskva, Down to Gorky Park, Listening to the wind of change
The song appeared on their next record, called Crazy World. It became an
anthem the world over, for a generation of people. As the Berlin Wall was torn
down. And as the Soviet Union’s communist government collapsed. The world
had, in fact, changed, and it seemed Klaus and his cohorts had seen it coming.
Klaus had been so inspired, that he’d written a timeless classic, one for the ages.
Or had he?
Now this, of course, is where I drop the great reveal, in a way. What the hell
am I talking about? Well, I’m not going to give you all the details, but I’ll tell
you where to get them. You see, I fell down a rabbit hole that is a podcast called
“Wind of Change”. It’s a story by the incredible Patrick Radden Keefe, an inves-
tigative journalist for The New Yorker Magazine. And the gist of the story is this:
Patrick’s friend Michael, who used to work for the CIA, tells him the story
of another former CIA operative sharing information with him claiming that
the song Wind of Change was really written by the CIA in a top secret psyops
program to insert western music and ideals into the Soviet Union to inspire
change.
Atonement Denied is making a name for them-
selves in the small Alaska metal scene but they
are doing it well. Ian, who is the drummer and
founder of the band, told me that they use the
cold, harsh winters for inspiration and I can see
that. As with every band during this pandemic,
they have been writing new material and honing
their craft. Considering where they are on the
charts with Raven’s Reveal and ReverbNation,
these guys are solid and I can’t wait to see what
the Alaska winter will bring out of the band.
Hold Me Hostage
Colorado has been known for its classi-
cal, folk, bluegrass, the occasional rock and
of course, it’s gorgeous mountains. Who
would have thought that metal would be tak-
ing Denver by storm? Chris, with his dark and
heavy vocals, is the lead singer and brain-
child behind Hold Me Hostage. Chris, along
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Yes, you read that correctly. Preposterous, right? Or is it? I’m cer-
tainly not going to spoil this for you, because I’m telling you, this is one of
the most fascinating things I’ve ever listened to, and I listen to a lot of
podcasts. I’ve actually listened to all 8 episodes twice. This epic yarn begins
with a conversation between two friends in an apartment, and ends up taking
you all over the globe. Interviews with former operatives, musicians and con-
Photo Credit:
Joe goers.
Schaeffer
cert
You’ll hear about Doctor Zhivago, Howard Hughes, Satchmo, Doc
McGee, and Nina Simone. You’ll hear about covert propaganda, the Freedom of
Information Act of 1967, espionage, crazy rock ‘n roll stories. You’ll go to a toy
convention in Ohio, and hear about Manuel Noriega and the biggest drug bust
in US history. Lots of clandestine CIA talk. And of course, Scorpions themselves,
all of this culminating in a meeting at a secluded hotel in Hamburg, Germany,
with Klaus Meine himself. Even if you aren’t a Scorpions fan (and I dunno if I
trust you if you aren’t, by the way...) this story is absolutely fascinating. You can
find it wherever you get your podcasts from.
So, is there any truth to this, you ask? I can neither confirm nor deny.
You’ll just have to listen for yourself.