The Goddess of Doom: Count Raven

Count Raven was a Swedish Doom Metal band that formed in the late 80's (first demo we've got of them is from 1989, so I'll assume around then). The core band originally consisted of Dan Fondelius (guitars), Tommy Eriksson (bass), Christer Petersson (drums), and Christian Lindersson (vocals); three of the four members rockin that Swedish double 's' is definitely metal. When Christian left after the first album to join Saint Vitus, Fondelius took over vocal duties. The band disbanded in 1998 then reformed in 2003. Judging by the personnel on their most recent album, Fondelius hired a new rhythm section sometime after the reform.

I've gotta be honest: these guys never did much for me. Insofar as they've got that "classic" doom sound down pat, they're perfectly competent. But for whatever reason it just never clicked with me, at least in finding a really great album (or track, even) that I wanted to spin repeatedly. I do like to give bands write-ups when I can for the sake of trying to flesh out the blog, but my feeling is that if I'm fighting boredom trying to come up with something to say about every album, you'll probably be twice as bored reading it. So I'll be brief.

1990 - Storm Warning
I've mentioned my distaste for young Christian Lindersson before. He's only on the first album, thankfully, but it still elicits something of a cringe from me. And I know these guys are Swedish, so the sometimes weak English lyrics are to be expected, but "His next seven years will really be something else, y'know / People will be stunned and say, 'Way to go!'" pushes new levels of for-the-rhyme laziness. Within the Garden of Mirrors has a pretty decent riff going, though.

http://www.mediafire.com/?l0b99j7l0z1c4fx

1992 - Destruction of the Void
Clearly I was mistaken in calling Lindersson's vocals Ozzy-esque, for the replacement singer (just guitarist Dan Fondelius having also taken up vocal duties) sounds like a verifiable Ozzy clone by comparison. Solid album otherwise.