Venom - Black Metal (1982)

Throughout the 40-ish years of the genre's existence, there have been metal albums which reek of promise and potential, brilliant musicianship and complex compositional qualities, lyrics of social, political, personal or sacrilegious significance.

Black Metal is not one of those albums.

It shares none of those qualities. It simply exists to kick your ass and then do lines off that kicked ass while popping shots of whiskey, inhaling the most rancid cigarettes imaginable and sodomizing your old lady. Though the album is more cohesive from a production standpoint than Venom's legendary debut Welcome to Hell, it loses none of the grisly edge and raw meat riffing of its predecessor. Faux Satanic lyrics highlight tales of sexual blasphemy and necromantic ritual while disgustipated guitar riffs grind over the thundering of Abaddon. Cronos doesn't quite sing his lyrics...it's more than he kind of spits and growls them. Keep in mind, this was a period in which the overwhelming majority of early metal bands employed vocalists who sounded as if they were competing for testicular constriction. Some rotten bloke spewing his mid-ranged, almost conversational barks over a discharge of brutal and simple riffing was simply unheard of.

It all adds to the charm. "Black Metal" tips off the album with one of the band's most infectious speed metal riffs, gritty and catchy (the kind of riff that would inspire bands like Possessed, Razor, Slayer and Indestroy). It also features one of the band's infamous lyrics 'Lay down your soul to the gods rock `n' roll'. "To Hell and Back" is a mid-paced number notable for Cronos laying down the thick distorted bass, and Mantas's mind numbling, senseless shredding (also a huge influence on many thrash and death metal bands). "Buried Alive" opens with a hilarious sample of a last rite before slowly building some creepy mystique and busting out some gory 'eavy metal. "Raise the Dead" is just foul, Crono's vocals splattered across a kick ass yet traditional NWOBHM riff.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
If God won't have me, then the Devil must!

"Teacher's Pet" is like the X-rated version of Van Halen's "Hot For Teacher", done up Venom class. "Leave Me in Hell" burns with a molten hot metal lick, a doomed ride on the river Styx with Cronos as your ferryman. "Sacrifice" is another scorcher with its grim Satanic ritual lyrics and a killer bridge before the choral breakdown.

Hooded figures, clouded skies
fires burn within their eyes
pentagram with baphomet midnight strikes
goat of menders lifts his head
summons up the living dead
virgin flesh lies tied and bound
hail satanas

"Heaven's on Fire" has a balls out bluesy twist to its speedy fare, pumping bass and fuzzy distortion which amazingly defies age. Two more classics round out this set, the diabolic "Countess Bathory" and haunted house crowd pleaser "Don't Burn the Witch". Both fucking rule, in particular the verse riffing in the latter.

I've already mentioned that the album has a timeless vibe to it. Perhaps this is due to the fact it sounds like the band is playing it live from your basement while you sit above sipping tea and hiding behind your cross, all the while fantasizing about orgies in goats blood and sexual climax beneath the full moon. It isn't just the name of this album which inspired an entire sub-genre of the medium; it's the carnal and unswerving attitude of the band to deliver schlock rock in its most sinister scenario amidst some of the most outrageous riffs you were likely to hear in 1982. Venom did not give a fuck, and look where and wot it got them?

Infamy.

Verdict: Epic Win [10/10] (I'm leaving God behind)

http://www.venomslegions.com/