If you were to ask me how I began 2024, my answer would be, “Why, with 2024, of course!” More specifically, 2024, the sophomore outing of the German hard rock outfit Ravenstine. A silly album title to be sure, but it piqued my interest, and I was in just the zone for a cut of Jorn-ish hard rock. Something that stuck out to me in the marketing around Ravenstine was the focus on them being first and foremost a group of friends. Could that mean 2024 is a pile of well-meaning but messy jams by a gaggle of lads taking the piss? Or is it perhaps a collection of great songs by artists all on the same wavelength, like the gents from countrymates Vanden Plas? Turns out it’s somewhere right in the middle. Slap on those novelty 2024 glasses and let’s rock n’ roll.
2024 is something of an oddball, like a sonic midpoint between Jorn and Bon Jovi. Lead singer Žanil Tataj gives a righteous vocal performance that blends heavy rock Masculinity™ and a Tobias Sammet-esque sensitivity. That sensitivity instills 2024 with a certain kindness that’s unusual to the genre, and the instruments further enable that kindness. Whether it’s the groovy riffs and keys in “Easy Come Easy Go” or the 80’s rock guitar in “Killing Spree,” Ravenstine is always more interested in rockin’ and rollin’ than being aggressive, even veering towards Journey territory in “In the Light.” 2024 is supported by a clean mix that doesn’t give the guitars a whole lot of crunch, instead placing the vocals front and center. With a voice like Tataj’s, that’s the right choice. The clash of borderline power metal vocals and gentle-leaning heavy rock is one with the potential to fail, but in Ravenstine’s hands, it’s kind of a blast. Everything together makes for a unique style stew that’s something like road trip dad rock but for dads who go to therapy.
Ravenstine’s greatest strengths are catchy choruses, groovy melodies, and an outstanding lead vocalist, and when they lean into those strengths, 2024 kicks ass. I’m a real sucker for well-done climactic choruses, and when the guitar solo drops and silence accompanies Tataj belting out the chorus in “Fly Eagle Fly,” or when he goes buck wild on the final chorus of “A Long Way Home”, I feel like I’m in the stratosphere. Tataj brings so much power to 2024, and while the musicianship supporting him is more focused on efficiency rather than flashy indulgences, it gets the job done perfectly well. Mystic Prophecy’s Hanno Kerstan keeps the drums at a clockwork head-nodding pace, and the guitars comfortably riff away with just enough gusto to never get lost in the noise. Look to “Easy Come Easy Go” for Ravenstine firing on all cylinders: a simple, effective acoustic intro, launched into an infectious dance between electric guitars and backing synths, followed by a heartfelt chorus that demands to be sung along to.
It’s when Ravenstine ignores their strengths that 2024 begins to falter. Everyone in Ravenstine besides Kerstan is credited as a vocalist, and it’s fine when they provide support in a track like “Fly Eagle Fly.” The problem is when they completely sideline Tataj’s unique character. Of the two ballads in 2024, “Signs by the Roadside” suffers from angsty, weightless vocals that sorely lack the oomph of the more grandiose singing, in contrast to the far more engaging “When I’m Dead and Gone” where the vocals are at their most bodacious. The instruments aren’t guiltless, either. The few guitar solos in 2024 are harmless if a little uninspired, but the solo in “Killing Spree” is a brief, bizarre tonal shift that annihilates the song’s pacing before sheepishly going back to normal. Transgressions like these are infrequent, but it’s sad to see Ravenstine get in their own way when they’re capable of writing some great stuff.
2024 has plenty of issues, but it’s got all the heart it needs to deserve a recommendation, and at 39 minutes (45 if you count the live bonus track) it’s an easy listen that moves at a real clip. Quite frankly this album is worth your time for the lead vocals alone, but there’s enough to like besides. I’d love to see Ravenstine flesh out their stupendous vocals and groovy rock n’ roll sensibilities while cutting away the chaff that bogs some tracks down for their next release. If this group of friends can do that, we might have a real winner on our hands.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
Dr: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: ravenstine.com | ravenstine.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/ravenstine
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024
