Workaround: Your normal grub boot line parameters are "quiet splash $vt_handoff". If your boot parameters are "vga=normal nofb nomodeset", this kernel boots and works 100%. I know this because I'm writing this on Raring, with that kernel, and those parameters, whereas I was freezing before.
It's *Plymouth*, of all things.
Workaround: Your normal grub boot line parameters are "quiet splash $vt_handoff". If your boot parameters are "vga=normal nofb nomodeset", this kernel boots and works 100%. I know this because I'm writing this on Raring, with that kernel, and those parameters, whereas I was freezing before.