Ravena was formed in 2012 when Justin Cook (Guitar) noticed the “Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven” tattoo Braden Brenizer (Guitar) had and sparked up a conversation about playing music. Despite their different backgrounds – Braden coming from prog-rock, post-punk projects and Justin with a background in black metal, ambient, extreme metal – they decided that their mutual fascination with post-rock and instrumental music and the rarity of their meeting, was too random to pass up. They lived in the central valley, the farming and bible belt of California. The genre post- rock or anything avant-garde in nature are often abhorred or hermetic in the surrounding area. With the need to be esoteric, Braden and Justin sought out to make a project. After many try-outs fell short, they found Scott Randle (Bass, Drums, Engineering) with a background in doom, sludge and stoner metal who was also in the search of a new sound. This eclectic union is what gives Ravena their sound.

They started out with the hopes of forming a full band but after many attempts they decided the trio was the best possible form. However, due to logistics, the three were never in the same room together while their debut album was being written, something that remains unchanged until this day.

With an unorthodox way of writing, hiatuses that lasted months on end, and re-recording parts of the album while Scott’s studio was growing, Laocoön was built, broken down, and re-built over the course of 4 years. The album was finally digitally released on 25 November 2016 and acclaimed by both Arctic Drones and Post-Rock Essentials, who included it in their Top 30 Releases of 2016.

On july 18, 2017, Ravena officially signed to Elusive Sound.