Venomous Maximus: Beg Upon the Light

It's common for extreme music to draw on occult themes and to exploit them for lyrical content and for cover art. Audiences seem regularly enthralled with such material and continue to support bands that use it. Moreover, there just seems to be no end to the thematic and symbolic possibilities occult themes provide. For metal music, Black Sabbath is the most likely culprit for spurring this interest, though obviously the human fascination with the unknown has a much longer history than that. I suppose that the fascination with the occult could grow stale one day, but not from listening to this album.

Venomous Maximus describes itself as a Dark Occult Metal band. Originally from Texas, the band members have worked hard to establish themselves as a powerful local force and are ready to expand their audience with this, their debut from Napalm Records. The band does have a couple of EPs from Cutthroat records. I have a copy of one of them and really like it, but the production quality of Beg Upon the Light is so much stronger that honestly gives this band a fresh start. I must say, though, that the earlier version of "Give Up the Witch" is pretty great. I admire consistency, especially when a bigger budget tempts so many bands away from their roots.

Their lyrics, as suggested above, are steeped in occult themes and images and are performed with seriousness and bravado. From beginning to end, it works pretty well. For me, Gregg Higgins' vocals were a major highlight to this album. They just have a richness to them that gives the music a distinctive quality, one that sets these guys apart from all the other occult-themed bands out there. Higgins sounds like Glenn Danzig mixed with Peter Murphy (back in the Bauhaus days). This kind of music needs the weight of a deep and rich voice, one that conveys both authority and, frankly, paranoia. Higgins sounds great on most tracks. I didn't like "Father Time" very much, mostly because he talks more than he sings, giving things a little more growl and thereby losing the qualities that make him so interesting to listen to in the first place. Check out "Give up the Witch" for a good example of his voice at its most dramatic.

Alongside Higgins, the rest of the band offers up straightforward doom-infused heavy metal consistently and effectively. I was especially impressed with the way this band delivers plenty of doom without sacrificing melody. The band members know how to convey a sense of power and do so flawlessly. To get a sense of what they can do, check out "Hell's Heroes," "Venomous Maximus," or "Battle for the Cross." Venomous Maximus is a solid and powerful band that deserves a wider audience.

Track Listing:
1. Funeral Queen
2. Path of Doom
3. Give up the Witch
4. Father Time
5. Dream Again
6. Moonchild
7. Battle for the Cross
8. Venomous Maximus
9. Mother Milk
10. Hell's Heroes

Added: June 19th 2013
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1857
Language: english

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