Venom are a band that need no introduction. Arguably the group that single-handedly invented what we now call extreme metal, Venom appeared in the early '80s and have been striking fear in the hearts of listeners ever since. At the helm as always is bassist/vocalist Cronos, joined here on From the Very Depth by drummer Danny "Danté" Needham and guitarist Stuart "Rage" Dixon. As you would expect, there is a mix of Satanic themed material along with some dirty rock 'n' roll fare that wouldn't sound out of place on a Motorhead album, all of it very 'Venom' sounding of course but perhaps these old geezers have gotten a little polished over the years, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
The title track is vintage Venom, with Cronos spewing his trademark hatred, but songs such as "The Death of Rock 'n' Roll" and "Smoke" could almost pass as stoner metal, which adds an interesting twist to the Venom repertoire. "Temptation" rages along with pummeling, thrashy fashion, while "Long Haired Punks" could have easily come off of Welcome to Hell or Black Metal with its rumbling bass, fiery riffs & pulverizing drumming. Other crushers like "Stigmata Satanas", "Crucified", and "Grinding Teeth" deliver the goods as only Venom can, and "Wings of Valkyrie" has so much damn bottom heavy groove to it as well as a scorching guitar solo that you can't help but be mightily impressed.
While I can't say that if you aren't a Venom fan From the Very Depths is going to convert you, it's still a very solid release and will no doubt please long time followers of this legendary band. Long may Cronos & Co. continue to brutalize the heavy metal landscape!
See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!
Track Listing
1. Eruptus
2. From the Very Depths
3. The Death of Rock'n'Roll
4. Smoke
5. Temptation
6. Long Haired Punks
7. Stigmata Satanas
8. Crucified
9. Evil Law
10. Grinding Teeth
11. Ouverture
12. Mephistopheles
13. Wings of Valkyrie
14. Rise
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