Published on Sep 27, 2000
When I was a teenager, I stayed away from groups like Venom,
whose dark, sinister lyrics flew in the face of everything I had
been brught up to believe, thanks to years of Catholic school
education. Plus, I just didn’t enjoy the music.
Now, it’s about 15 years later. My own religious views are
cemented (one of which is that I do not believe there is a devil –
and, please, save your e-mails on this subject). I average a couple
of discs in the mail a week which feature groups who walk on the
dark side. I’ve since amended my views of what I will listen to;
the Pierce Memorial Archives now contain numerous works from
Slayer, Mercyful Fate and King Diamond. (My buddy from that time
period, who was heavily into such groups, would probably drop his
teeth if he read this.) And, yes, I’m now re-discovering Venom,
thanks to the latest work from this British trio,
Resurrection.
Make no mistake that after two decades together (well,
on-and-off togetherness), Venom has turned itself into a tight
musical unit. Vocalist/bassist Cronos, guitarist Mantas and new
drummer Annton pull off 14 solid musical performances on this disc
– and don’t think for a minute that their views have softened over
the years.
If anything, though, their demonic imagery has become – well,
standard. So many other groups have taken what these guys basically
pioneered that when the grandfathers of black metal roar forth, it
almost takes on a “been there, done that, bought the t-shirt”
quality. And this, frankly, isn’t the band’s fault.
There’s no doubt, though, that even after an influx of artists
in this genre,
Resurrection might still cause some people’s eyes to bulge
at some of the lyrical imagery. Tracks such as “War Against
Christ,” “Black Flame Of Satan” and the title track all serve as
proof enough of this. Yet Venom is able to keep your interest not
only through the lyrics but through a controlled delivery of the
music. They know when to keep the beat down a bit, and they know
when to turn everything up to 11; that’s something that only comes
with experience, something Venom has by the boatload.
Yet songs about Satan aren’t all that Venom is about these days.
Resurrection, instead, focuses on a darker side of human
existence, exploring things many bands don’t care to touch on.
Tracks such as “Vengeance,” “All There Is Fear” and “Control Freak”
all paint a different portrait of the human experience, and whether
you agree with Venom’s views or not, it is something which deserves
to be brought to the forefront.
If you didn’t know Venom’s past, you’d swear this particular
line-up has been together for ages. But with original drummer
Abaddon leaving the band as the album went into pre-production, the
challenge of keeping a tight musical ship became an obstacle for
Venom. Fortunately, Annton is more than up to the task, and the
band sounds incredibly fresh.
If
Resurrection is your first taste of Venom, chances are
you’re going to like what you hear. If you’ve followed the band
since the early days, this disc should not let you down. If you’re
one of those fundamentalist liar – oops, I mean ministers – on
television… well, you’re not going to like this disc, and it make
your hairpiece stand up on end. Oh, well. Two out of three ain’t
bad.