The legacy of Venom is undisputed. Period. Past members have black metal flowing in their blood. When Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan combined forces for the 1989-1992 iteration of the band the fires of Hell still burned and the album “Prime Evil” maintained the rage previously set by what many consider the classic line-up of the band that delivered “Black Metal” and “At War With Satan”. Fast forward to 2015 and still with the fire in their belly, Venom Inc came screaming into the world. The trio is completed by Jeramie “War Machine” Kling and they prove to be far from a mere tribute act. Their 2017 debut “Avé” delivered the goods and laid the foundations. Fast forward again to 2022 and we have “There’s Only Black”… are we feeling the heat yet?
The younger generation have an undisputed passion and fly the flag for heavy music and extreme aggression but only the years of experience give the old hands a sound that are purely born from the depths of Hell. Venomous (pun intended) and completely nasty, the opening track “How Many Can Die”, with gang shouts announces a band with the urgency of one many years younger. Spiky and with a hardcore punk sensibility you’re immediately salivating at what is to come. The production gives the vocals and instruments space and an immersive quality. The pure, clattering ugliness of “Infinitum” provides proof that the source of extreme metal aggression is still kicking. Shades of “Christ Illusion” era Slayer abound and the slide into the album’s blackened aura is assured. The nastiness of the riff in “Come To Me” almost makes you feel like you’re being hunted down. What a banger! Full of punch and with that raw sound, it’s a standout track. Hints of the NWOBHM come through on “There’s Only Black” as screaming lead guitar combine with vocals that are hushed before bursting into a semi-maniacal scorn.
Whilst maintaining an aggressive edge, the shift to a more mid-tempo sound on “Tyrant” gives this an epic feel with a darker mood and some serious weight. Demolition Man’s vocals roar with each word enunciated for maximum effect before winding down with Kling’s militaristic drums that build to a surprisingly melodic outro which sits well but is quite unexpected. This mid-tempo pace appears again on “Burn Liar Burn” prior to launching to another Slayer influenced thrash attack and its these moments of light and shade which adds some texture to the album.
Those sharp, ear bash assaults are always lurking though. Staccato riffage and machine gun sounding drums on “Don’t Feed Me Your Lies” are injected with some Iron Maiden styled noodling guitar that is impressive. There’s almost a thuggery about songs like “Nine” and “Man As God”. This second half of the album salvo of tracks are masterful displays of primal, stripped back extreme metal. “Rampant” is a head banging behemoth full of wailing guitar and the chunky, swaggering sound of final cut “Inferno” ensures this album will not bow out quietly.
Venom Inc. have dropped a banger of an album. The pedigree shines through and “There’s Only Black” really does make an important statement for this band. Full of extreme metal rage and produced to capture a live realness, they’ve bottled the essence of classic Venom while making a sound all their own. This will put a smile on fans’ faces guaranteed.
(8/10 Johnny Zedd)
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