MARION RAVEN – Heads Will Roll

Okay, another CD to look at. O.k., open it up …put it in the CD player. All right, got to see what we have here. A one and a two and a BAM!!! What the … !!! That’s right. It catches you off guard and you’ll be stunned! It’s definitely new, but with a raw energy, balls to the wall — get the fuck outta my way attitude that just destroys everything in its way. That is the only way to express “Spit You Out” from the new Marion Raven EP. Can the rest of the EP hold up to this?

Marion Raven is a young, 22-year old Norwegian-born singer/songwriter with loads of talent. Her music falls somewhere under the Pop/Hard Rock/Alternative genres. She has an incredible voice — it’s very powerful with subtle hints of Alanis Morissette coming through at times. She also plays both electric and acoustic guitar along with some piano. Most of her lyrics, if you follow them, have a strong penchant most suited to the Country music genre. Her songs topics deal with heartbreak, disappointment, and real-life relationships gone bad. Add in the dog running away, crops not coming in … never mind, you see the point.

The one major difference is the music she attaches to her lyrics. The music kicks you in the ass and then it kicks your ass. Yes, these are strong words, but listening to her EP leaves an impression that this is one lady who means business and not someone you piss off. If you do, she might end up writing a song about it. Just look at the EP name if you think she’s feeble.

All of the songs on Heads Will Roll are written by Raven, mostly all of which are in collaboration with other talents in the music business. Since the EP has only six tracks lasting a hair over 21 minutes, it makes sense to examine each track individually.

“Spit You Out” and “Heads Will Roll” are songs about infidelity with that added touch of a woman scorned. What can be said of “Spit You Out” that hasn’t been already touched upon in the opening paragraph, except that the lyrics were written by DJ Ashba and Raven, with all the music written by DJ Ashba, and DJ played all the instruments too, except the drums (Bones Elias) and bass (John Younger). The guitar work on this track is absolutely phenomenal (this song is a must listen just for the guitar work alone) and most listeners of this track will want to know who did the work. Check out his (DJ Ashba) website for more info — this guy has talent coming out of his pores.

“Heads Will Roll” is the second track, picking up where “Spit You Out” left off it seems. It is the hit single off this EP and is co-written with none other than Nikki Sixx (bassist, Motley Crue) and James Michael. It was produced, engineered, and mixed by James Michael. All instruments were played by James Michael, except bass (Nikki Sixx). This tune rocks equally compared to the opener. Sixx was quoted as saying “I’ve written with artists as diverse as Joey from Saliva to Meat Loaf and Vince Neil, but Marion is the fucking most talented new artist I’ve worked with since I’ve been making music.” That is a pretty strong statement made by anyone in the music biz. This EP is an enhanced CD and comes with a special surprise that is a music video of this hit single. The video features Marion on vocals, Xavier Muriel (Buckcherry) on drums, Scott Stevens (The Exies) on guitar and backing vocals, and Freddy Herrara (The Exies) on bass. Scott Stevens is quoted as declaring Marion as “the new Joan Jett of Rock and Roll.”

“All I Wanna Do Is You” is a special little love song as one can tell by the title. This third track has a great bass intro and other great bass fills that show up at just the right time. It seems to have this ballsy attitude that just doesn’t let up, which is the reason why this track works so well the way it was written and put together. It was co-written and produced by Keith Nelson (Buckcherry).

“13 Days” is the fourth track of the EP and is about a fling that Marion Raven had that lasted just that long. It was so-written with Chantal Kreviazuk (singer/songwriter), and Raine Maida (Our Lady Peace). Compared to the other three tracks so far, it is a much slower and quieter track with some orchestration in it. After being bombarded by the earlier stuff, most listeners would probably want to give up on this track by fast forwarding to the next tune. This cannot be over-emphasized enough, DON’T DO IT. It is a very strong track and definitely the sleeper of this EP. A definite must listen.

“Good 4 Sex” is the fifth track of the EP. Just an observation so far, but there has been no sign of Desmond Child himself as of yet. Can this be happening? A CD being put together by a beautiful young woman who is looking for help, lyrics full of sexual content, pictures of scantily clad or semi-naked women, etc., and no Desmond. What gives? Well guess who is collaborating with Raven on this one? None other than James Michael and, yes, Desmond Child. The music industry just breathed a sigh of relief. It’s just one of those music biz things that can’t be explained — sort of like the Bermuda Triangle, for example.

The final track, “Let Me Introduce Myself” is an acoustic number played and sung by Marion Raven herself. Perhaps this is why Marion collaborates with as many people as she possibly can? This track is about her ex-boyfriend’s new girl. Now she’s going after her ex’s interests. Come on Marion, are you that desperate for material?

There are some lingering doubts, regardless of how good this EP seems to be. Why does Marion collaborate so much and so often? Perhaps she doesn’t feel she has what it takes to become successful on her own. If the sixth track on this EP, “Let Me Introduce Myself,” has anything to do with her doubt, well maybe she’s on to something. It just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the EP. Also, does every song have to deal with the same topic or subject matter? She certainly had a theme for Heads Will Roll, and stuck to it. Hopefully Marion can sing about other things in life besides what was dealt to her fans on this EP.

Marion’s debut album, Here I Am, released on July 26, 2005, was a huge success in Japan, where it debuted at #6 on the charts and her single hit #1. U.S.A. audiences can get a taste of Marion via her EP Heads Will Roll, and her full-length LP entitled Set Me Free will be released in early 2007.