By: AvNatten

Posted: Apr 5, 2006

Britain's living legends are back at it again, six years after the release of "Resurrection" comes the much anticipated "Metal Black". Originally this release was going to be called "Maleficarvm" which is a reference to witches, but people had a hard time with the pronunciation so the band settled for the more simple "Metal Black". Almost every metal fan has heard or at least heard of the landmark album "Black Metal" which was released in the early 80ties and went on to spawn a whole new genre of metal aptly called black metal and influenced countless amounts of bands worldwide. When most legendary bands release a new record nowadays they claim that it will be a return to form and a trip back to their roots in the early days, Venom are no exception. The band got the blood of the fans boiling with excitement when they started to drop hints that the new material would be akin to the much loved older material. So did Venom live up to their back to their roots claim? The statement is partially true, there are elements of the older material and the newer mixed together equally. It is mixed together well and flows evenly though, the Venom clan have put together some good songs that will surely curb their fans' appetites.

The disc kicks off with 'Antechrist' a thrashy punch in the face that lets you know that Venom are back and mean business. Through the musical chaos comes Cronos' familiar voice which is also a mix between the older and newer material. Cronos sounds in top form spitting out his lyrics with force and aggression. There is no mistake who you are listening to when those vocals kick in. His bass also sounds heavy and there are some good bass moments scattered throughout the tracks. The lyrical content is typical Venom fare; satan, death, hell, and darkness but we wouldn't expect any topics less than these from this satanically inclined band.

'Darkest Realm' is a track on which guitarist Mykvs gets to let his playing shine, galloping staccato riffs, squealing harmonics, and a very nice solo make this track a catchy and standout one. 'A Good Day To Die' is another good thrasher with good guitar work, the tones and chord progressions are what we have come to expect from this band. Antton's hits and kicks his drums with intensity and keeps them heavy enough to crush your bones. The production too is a mix of the old and new sounds, nice and loud but still raw.

What Venom have created on this disc is a simple yet effective rollercoaster ride through an array of songs that have their own identities but still hold true to the formulas the band immerses themselves in. Innovation is not a key here, this album takes what has already existed and transforms it into a fast, hard hitting tracklist that should gain some enjoyment from just about any Venom fan that has an open mind and doesn't dismiss their newer works as nonsense. For those fans that expected a full throwback to the glory days of "At War With Satan" and "Black Metal" there will be some disappointment. "Metal Black" still proves that Cronos and company still have the drive to create evil and pummelling metal that will keep the fans wondering what they will do next. One can only hope that it doesn't take another six years before they grace us with a new slab of metal again.

Rating: 7½/10

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