Although Metallica takes place in the Big Four, some believe it’s not fair that they are bigger than some other bands. In this case, it was Raven that got compared to Metallica.
The Meista host Victor Martsas welcomed Wild Charge’s Christian Devore and Eduardo Batista for a new interview. Devore and Basista discussed meeting Raven’s members, spending time with them, and comparing them to other metal bands. The host and the Wild Charge members recalled the time Metallica opened for Raven and talked about the ‘unfairness’ of the situation. The host said:
“I wish they were more popular than they are, because I think they deserve it. They started it. Metallica opened for them in 1982, whatever year it was. It’s amazing. They’re playing bars and Metallica’s playing stadiums. Something doesn’t seem right. But that’s just my personal opinion.”
Raven Almost Got Bigger Than Metallica
Raven went on their first US tour with Metallica back in 1983. Though Metallica was the opening band for them, the rockers eventually got bigger than Raven. Apparently, their musical approach surpassed them too.
In an earlier chat with Artists on Record Podcast, music executive Michael Alago explained how he almost signed Raven to Elektra Records. But the decision took a turn after he heard Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All.’ He said:
“…Soon after I got to Elektra in ’83, Johnny [Zazula] called me up and he told me about his label. And he wanted me to hear some of the artists on his label. So he brought me a small box of records — maybe Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘Em All’, the first Anthrax [album], Raven… And initially, he wanted me to sign Raven. And I love the Gallagher Brothers. They’re marvelous. And so I did a demo with them. I think like a five-song demo, I gave them five grand.”
He then explained why he changed his mind about signing Raven up:
“But the problem was, I heard ‘Kill ‘Em All’. And that completely blew me away, because I never heard anything like that – all of us never heard anything like that, ever. Because these young people were combining hard rock, punk rock, British heavy metal into this one thing that you mixed up, and it’s called Metallica.”
You can watch the recent interview below.