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20 янв 2026
RAVEN's JOHN GALLAGHER On Touring With METALLICA More Than 40 Years Ago: 'They Were Kindred Spirits'
"It was great," John continued. "They were kindred spirits. They were a gang. We were a gang. Because the one thing I always hear is, like, 'Well, did you know back then that they would be what they are now? It's, like, no. Who would? And that band then — no, they would never have been that. But the band that recorded that second album showed great hints of [bigger things] happening. So, that's what happened.
"But Cliff was great," Gallagher added. "Cliff was a real old soul on young shoulders. We'd sit and throw bass riffs at each other and talk music. He was a huge fan of many kinds of music. He loved fusion. He loved RUSH and BLUE ÖYSTER CULT. He had a pair of jeans with a RUSH patch and a BLUE ÖYSTER CULT patch, I think. And I don't think he took them off in a month. I think he showered in them. I'm not sure. [Laughs]"
A year ago, John told Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station about RAVEN's tours with METALLICA: "Yeah, [METALLICA] were good. They were energetic. They were like a gang, which is always appealing 'cause we were, obviously, like a gang. It wasn't the mentality of a one guy starting a band and putting adverts out and having a bunch of mercenaries come in. There was none of that. They were a gang. But as far as, 'Do you see them in — whatever — 10 years being the greatest thing since sliced bread?' It's, like, no, not a chance. And to be fair, the band that you could have said that with was at least a good year away because they really changed on the second record. It showed some maturity and breadth and the ability to do different things other than just [playing fast] all the way through. So, they sat, they learned and they soaked it all in and they did a whole bunch of stuff."
John continued: "They said to us on the tour, 'We love your 'All For One' album because you've broadened your sound without compromising who you are.' I was, like, 'Oh, well, I guess we did. Okay.' So they did kind of the same thing. They stretched out and did 'Fade To Black', which was, like, 'This is really cool. This is different.' Some slower-paced songs — still fast stuff, but mixed it up a bit."
He added: "We had a long conversation with James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] a couple of years ago up at METALLICA HQ [in Northern California]; we visited there. And [he was] very humble and very, 'I don't know how this all happened, but we're very grateful and humbled that it did. And we're gonna continue to do the best we can.' You can't ask for more than that."
Gallagher also spoke about what it was like for RAVEN to open for METALLICA at a November 2022 concert at the Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida celebrating the life, legacy, and achievements of Megaforce Records founder Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula. He said: "Yeah, that was really cool. That was for a good purpose because Jon and Marsha Zazula, who managed them and managed us, made a huge difference in both our careers. Absolutely. And it was good to recognize and celebrate that. And they were so good… And we got to hang out for a long time and talk. And it's really surprising about the level that they're at and the things they've went through that it's the same guys. That's pretty cool."
RAVEN will return to the live stage for an extensive North American tour of more than 35 shows from March through May this year. Support on the trek will come from SLACKJAW.
Last August RAVEN announced that it was postponing its previously announced summer/fall 2025 European tour due to John's health. John later released a video message in which he said that he found out he had "a bleed on the brain."
Considered part of the "New Wave Of British Heavy Metal" movement of the early '80s, RAVEN 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 classic 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.
In a 2005 post on RAVEN's official message board, John stated about RAVEN's influence on other pioneering metal bands: "Anyone ever listen to the middle of 'Aces High' by IRON MAIDEN and compare it to part of 'Faster Than The Speed Of Light' [by RAVEN]? How about the chorus riff of METALLICA's 'No Remorse' to [RAVEN's] 'Lambs To The Slaughter'?? Makes me laugh...!"
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