ALBUM REVIEW: Venom – Storm The Gates

Here I review the long-awaited new album from Metal legends VENOM! Out now via Spinefarm Records.

01. Bring Out Your Dead jumps right in with speedy drums, grinding riffs and that classic Venom vibe we all have grown to love over a long career of intense albums. Cronos with his unique vocals soon join the mix with the catchy and brutal hooks that perfectly lay into the crushing opening track. This was a totally killer start to the album that will certainly be an anthem for them to play live and I will be repeating a lot!
02. Notorious drops in more groovy riffs, catchiness is clearly a running theme on this record and I have to say I love it. The morbid feeling of the band is something that has remained intact after so long and songs like this really show how their captivating strength has not been lost. Another excellent song.
03. I Dark Lord has a more bleak, dissonant beginning to it with doomy crawling riffs, intricate drum fills and a dismally grand venture into darkness chugs into fruition. The sawing guitars really drive life into the song regardless of its incredibly menacing sound, this is some totally gruesome material from the band and it works wonderfully in the release.
04. 100 Miles To Hell opens with some classic Venom riffs that build the track in gorgeously to a full blown assault, something the band have done skilfully for decades. This time it has a really punchy groove that just tears your apart. Some excellent, primal songwriting and musicianship from the band using simplicity to create something utterly decimating. The guitar solo sounded absolutely stunning and really elevated the piece into livelihood even more than the other tracks, well placed guitar solos that aren’t overzealous are certainly something I endorse. Great work!
05. Dark Night (Of The Soul) follows with killer thrashy riffs and a truly headbang worthy attack, the whole band just storming out totally killer Metal madness once more. The more melodic touches to this song are really cool to hear from Venom while the vocals are absolutely awesome, this song was much more fun than it is grisly but I think equally valuable musically to the album to throw in some satire. While the song certainly had its comedic touches do not let that distract you from the fact it was still an epic track musically.
06. Beaten To A Pulp jumps back into menacing and fantastically heavy grooves once more. The aggressive pace of the song met with its excellent hooks and punchy drums just decimates and throws totally furious music at you from start to finish. There are some gorgeous doomy elements and of course the bands usual thrashy style that combine to make something absolutely grotesque (in the best possible way) with some stunning lead guitar work too. Fantastic!
07. Destroyer continues with the doomy elements from the last song with a dragging piece of morbid frenzy that has an excellent build up and incredibly exciting touch to it. The track has a strange drum and vocal only section near the start I did not expect at all but it was actually really cool. I think for a band with such a long history of making music, it is certainly important to try new things and it really works for them, while staying true to their style of course.
08. The Mighty Have Fallen blasts chaos out of nowhere sending the album into overdriven mayhem. This song is truly in your face, full of attitude and kick-ass from the very onset. The ferocious attack of the piece including the solo which is some nice whammy mania is just so damn intense and filled with fury. Tracks like this show perfectly how Venom have just as much bite as ever. Absolutely killer track!
09. Over My Dead Body comes in with blistering drums that are soon joined by great riffs and more well-paced insanity from the band. The catatonically heavy drum beats met with frenzied guitars and morbid vocal howls just creates this horror atmosphere with unrivalled brutality. The gnarly soundscape the band create is so dark and terrific that you cannot help but be entirely absorbed in the song. The cleaner sections add some nice diversity to the song giving us a break from the monstrous assaults but adding to the atmospheric side of things before lurking between styles. Brilliant!
10. Suffering Dictates opens with more chugging riffs and some excellent lyric-writing that is hatefully spat over the gruesome instrument sections that crawl along through dark grisly riffs and upbeat drum patterns. This track had a cool grunge vibe to it among the Metal mania that I found really enjoyable, once again it is cool to see classic bands trying new elements with their music and once again it pays off. Another really tight song.
11. We The Loud has a more cheerful feel from the guitars and much more upbeat drums that come together into this really anthemic piece of music. The truly maniacal yells from Cronos sound absolutely epic over the groovy piece of truly classic sounding Venom, this song is definitely one of my favourites from the album that offers not only new material but also a nostalgia kick to the classic Venom sound. The break is so damn heavy too. Absolutely adored this track!
12. Immortal comes in beautifully with some really excellent production work that truly allows the guitars to build into this fantastic riff cycle before throwing more menacing assaults at us with such precision. The track offers us so much insanely catchy music with some gruesome lyrics and a truly vitriolic performance from the whole band, while nearing the end it does not seem like anything is faltering away. Killer stuff!
13. Storm The Gates is the closing piece of the album, but this is Venom, that does not mean we will get some weak final jab. Throwing us right back into tight and punchy riffs with epic drums and truly gruesome yet melodic Venom classic soundscapes this is definitely going to be a great final song. The vocal performance is perfectly suited to the piece and it truly feels like the album is going out with a bang. Great way to finish things!

VENOM are back on top form with a crushing new album filled with songs that truly continue their legacy, I think it has to be one of the stronger releases since the original 3 albums. Certainly worth checking out for lovers of the classics! -8/10