Italian band RAFF was formed way back in 1979, and until they decided to call it a day in 1987 they were were only able to release a 4-track EP. An album had been planned, and recorded, but for various reasons it wasn’t released back then. Some 30 years later and Raff is an active entity again, and they decided to record the songs from way back when anew. The final result is the band’s self-titled debut album, released 30 years after originally planned, which was issued through Italian label Jolly Roger Records.
For me this production stands out as something of a two-sided affair in a more allegorical meaning of the phrase. Often such phrases are sued to describe albums with a strong and a weaker half, in the old days a strong and a weak side, and on other occasions it will be used to describe an album with other marked differences between the first and second part of the production. In this case the case is a rather different one though, a kind of a yin and yan experience on a rather different level entirely, about aspects that are present throughout. There’s a good side and a bad side to this album, at least for me, and both are present throughout.
In terms of style we’re dealing with an early 80’s metal band here, the tracks were penned back then and doesn’t seem to have been altered in the decades that have gone by, at least not to any great extent. Which is, mostly I suspect, an asset here. The greater majority of the songs revolves rather heavily on the good, old foundation of steady drum patterns and a driving, tight bass-line, a compelling core for any metal song if done right, and Raff certainly knows how to craft and perform that aspect well enough. The pace and choice of guitar sound are the main variations in terms of stylistic variation, and in this case we’re dealing with a band fond of the melodic side of heavy metal, with a toned down guitar sound as a key presence, providing tight riffs, occasional plucked gentler guitar details and alternating between harmony based and more intense fiery guitar solo runs. As far as references go, Judas Priest and early Iron Maiden are high on my list, with occasional sequences or songs closer to the likes of AC/DC and Black Sabbath, with a token song or two possibly closing in on the melodic hard rock universe of bands such as Dokken. Generally well made material through and through, but with the occasional instance of a cliched dud that perhaps should have remained forgotten.
The songs are generally well made and compelling though. But the other side of the coin are the lead and backing vocals. Good vocals can elevate an album as well as a song, but in this case the situation is, sadly I’ll have to state, the exact opposite. The more talk-like, aggressive vocal style is the best one, although not what I’d describe as good even there, but whenever the vocalist needs to sing the end user experience plummets. If it’s a case of an untrained vocalist not aware of the scope of his vocal capabilities, a singer that just doesn’t have a natural talent or someone having some really bad sessions in the recording studio I don’t know, but the end result is rather detrimental I’m afraid. It is kind of twice as annoying when this affects compositions that, by and large, are as compelling as the greater majority of tracks on this production, as you can so easily hear how much better this album might have been with a singer of a passable quality.
As it is, this much belated debut album by Raff documents a band that were able to pen some truly compelling songs back in the day, a solid album of early 80’s accessible heavy metal, but where the lacking quality of the lead vocals will seriously limit the general appeal of this album. If you love your early 80’s heavy metal and don’t really care too much about the vocals then this album merits a check, but if the quality of the vocals are important to you then this is a CD to be approached with some caution.
My rating: 53/100
