Raven 2026 North American Tour Announced

NWOBHM Veterans Raven Bring 40-Date Tour Across North America

USA, take note — the sleeping beast is waking up. A piece of British metal history is crossing the ocean as Raven aim to revive the New Wave of British Heavy Metal a few decades later. They should be capable of it. After all, the Gallagher brothers once brought Metallica and Anthrax on stage as openers. Now the thrash and speed metal veterans take their turn.

Starting March 18, the band will launch a 40-date tour across North America. Because if anything can still be revived, it might as well be the good old traditions.

Raven lead vocalist and bassist John Gallagher has a message for metalheads:

Hey there!! we’re hungry and itching to get back out on the road after the ‘medical gap year’ of 2025. It’s gonna be a take no prisoners full volume manic affair with Slackjaw out with us on this 2026 US tour!!

With Slackjaw along for the ride, the mission is to pull NWOBHM out of its comatose state. Ups and downs are nothing unusual for Raven — in fact, they’ve almost been routine. Guitarist Mark Gallagher survived a near-fatal accident in 2001, and drummer Joe Hasselvander suffered a heart attack in 2017 that sadly forced him out of the band.

All obstacles were overcome, and today Raven stand as a trio: the founding Gallagher brothers and a drummer whose name rather conveniently rhymes — Mike Heller.

In 2024 the band celebrated 50 years globally, with fans raising their glasses across tours stretching from the UK and Europe to North and South America, as well as Singapore, Australia and Japan.

2025 followed with the release of the eight-song EP “Can’t Take Away the Fire”, and there are already hints that something more may be coming for fans.

For now, only North America gets the tour treatment, as no UK or European dates have been announced yet. Everyone else will have to be patient a little longer.

Anyone based in the US — or willing to travel for a dose of classic NWOBHM — can find ticket information here.