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VenomHow is it possible that from three Geordie drunkards singing about cod-Satanism, knob-rot and your teacher catching you wanking under your school desk, a movement like black metal could emerge? Perhaps because in the early 80s, Venom were the loudest, fastest, heaviest, and any other word ending in 'est' band on the planet, making a noise that made punk bands like Discharge wince. Like Motorhead without Lemmy's charm, on their Welcome To Hell Debut, Venom quickly established themselves as the last word in sonic butchery, although it wasn't until after the release of 1982's Black Metal that they played live, claiming their stage show was too big for most venues. When they finaly made their live debut, it was as loud and destructive as you'd expect, with all their gear broken beyond repair by the end. Black metal may have become far more serious than Venom were, but without them, the world of extreme metal would be a very different place indeed. 
Name: Black Metal
Label: NEAT
Year: 1982
Review: That title, that iconic cover featuring lucifer himself, the absolute disregard for musical subtlety; Black Metal certainly led the way for bands like Mayhem to follow with their hellish noise on tracks like Raise The Dead, To Hell And Back and the glorious, classic title track. Although Teacher's Pet remains, as it was then, the sort of thing comedy metal troupe Bad News would have laughed at for being too stupid. 
Name: Welcome to Hell
Label: NEAT
Year: 1981
Review: If Lemmy's charm won Motorhead a certain amount of respect with 'normals', Welcome To Hell did its best to undo all their good work. Songs like Witching Hour, A Thousand Days In Sodom and Schizo confirmed easily-scared people's views that heavy metal bands were talentless, drunk, depraved, evil pieces of work, while the goat's head on the cover announced that Venom were indeed In League With Satan. Or, at least, down the pub with him. 
Name: At War With Satan
Label: NEAT
Year: 1983
Review: Did Venom do epic? Sort of, yeah. The entire first side of the vinyl version of At War With Satan is taken up with the title track, although those expecting some sort of prog rock epic will be disappointed. It's the usual Venom noise explosion, just played for fifteen minutes. The last truly great record the Geordie three would make, At War... is an unholy roar of dirty, Satanic noise. And it ends with a song called Arrrrrggghhhh!!!!. Need it? Of course you do! 
Name: Cast in Stone
Label: SPV
Year: 1997
Review: After years in the wilderness, the classic Venom triumvirate of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon returned for another round of bloodthirsty black metal. Over a decade and a half after their debut, Venom's caveman-like assault hadn't matured any, but, frankly, when they've proven the masters of primitive, but effective heavy metal thunder, why the fuck would you want anything else!? 
Name: Kissing The Beast
Label: NEAT
Year: 1993
Review: Safe to say that Venom would never have a lengthy, illustrious career, but this early 90's stuff is weak even by low expectation. Original frontman Cronos isn't on it, and while the music is passable enough, the spirit of Venom's 'playing faster than any of us actually can' attitude is as absent as he is. The sound of a bright light guttering.
Key Venom Tracks |
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