Austrian’s Venator are a traditional heavy metal band quite known in the underground. Their 2020 split with Germany’s Angel Blade (now Acid Blade) was a great introduction. These songs were also released in their own right as the ‘Paradiser’ EP in the same year, just before to world went into lockdown.

All tracks on this debut album are brand new recordings. From the get go, I really love this album. ‘Howl at the Rain’ starts the album. There is a strong American influence, lots of guitar effects and melodic soundscapes. Some are founded in early Swedish metal for me, the overall effect you get is expansive. When the main body of the track starts, you get the high octane metal akin to early Scandinavian metal music. ‘Seventh Seal’ has a bit more get up and go, maybe Dio/Chastain in feel, riffing is mandatory as is some air guitar, its invigorating and exciting. The light and shade moments of heavy to acoustic atmospherics is very smooth and justified at the right time to break up the track.

‘Red and Black’ is a fired up metal assault, a nice rhythm and the quality of Johannes Huemer’s vocal is very nice; there is a cool gritty vibe underneath a strong melodic strength. Lead track ‘Nightrider’ starts with some harmonics before kicking out the dust with some further riff assassination of near calm. The production adds a classic older metal feel but atmospheric enough to add some real bite to your ears, especially one something other than headphones. ‘Made of Light’ is more mid pace, I suppose like your standard metal of the style of British bands of the great 80’s era. Venator sing and hold melody to a much better pedigree I have to admit, there is something in the resultant tone that makes it infectious.

‘The Rising’ has me at the galloping guitars, I love this style, and yeah you have heard this from me before! The closing song ‘Streets of Gold’ has a strong Stryper & Lillian Axe influence, especially when you get to the solo. The former track ‘The Hexx’ getting a bit more upbeat to the sound of many of the bands tagged with the NWOTHM scene. Some of the scales use take for me a classical influence also. Venator are leaders though. This album really hits the spot, the quality is first class, the guitars, the melody and the overall vibrancy never drops throughout the release. By far, this is the best in sub-genre I have heard so far this year.

‘Echoes From the Gutter’ is a majestic NWOTHM release that spearheads the field and has redeeming quality, melody and metallic balls. This is a truly enjoyable album from start to end.

(9/10 Paul Maddison)

https://www.facebook.com/VenatorHeavyMetal

https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/venator-echoes-from-the-gutter