Venom – Black Metal

Review

Venom's 'Black Metal' is a thunderous piece of metal history that roared into existence in late 1982. Cranked out in a mere week at Impulse Studios in Wallsend, England, this album packs a punch that's been echoing through the halls of heavy music for decades.

The sonic assault of 'Black Metal' is a perfect storm of ear-splitting guitar riffs, relentless drumming, and Conrad "Cronos" Lant's gravelly vocals that sound like they've been dragged through the depths of hell. Tracks like 'To Hell And Back' and 'Buried Alive' are prime examples of Venom's knack for crafting tunes that are as eerie as they are intense. They're not just singing about the dark side - they're dragging you right into it.

While 'Black Metal' lent its name to a whole subgenre, it's really a melting pot of speed, thrash, and early extreme metal. The album's influence spread like wildfire, igniting the imaginations of countless metal bands in the '80s and beyond. And let's not forget the packaging - Cronos's cover art and those gothic-style lyric inserts added an extra layer of menace to the whole affair. It might not be the most polished production you'll ever hear, but that raw energy is exactly what makes 'Black Metal' a cornerstone of extreme metal. - Ellis