Venom Inc - Ave

(CD Album Review)

****

Venom still producing great Metal

After the classic Venom drummer Abbadon did a guest spot at an M:pire of Evil show promoters and fans alike willed Venom Inc into life. The band featuring two thirds of the original Venom line up and former frontman Tony Dolan. The trio have spent the last two years touring their asses off playing over three hundred shows in that time. While fans bicker over who is the true Venom (who cares?)... we’ll concentrate here on the music.

After two years of bashing out the Venom hits, the band would be forgiven to hark back to the old days and make an old school “Classic” sounding album but 'Ave' in all fairness pretty much follows on from M:pire of Evil’s 'Hell to the Holy' album. I always saw M;pire of Evil to Venom the same way Heaven and Hell was to Black Sabbath. The separate line ups created very different sounding but equally great music.

M;pire continued what Mantas and Tony Dolan did on the three Venom albums they did together this was confirmed on the bands second release 'Crucified' when the band re-recorded selected tracks from those albums. Opening with a slow atmospheric but heavy as hell number 'Ave Santanas' this track builds up as it goes along 'Forged in Hell' explodes into life with Abaddon’s rapid drums and we are in more familiar territory.

We get here mainly a more metal Motorhead for the most part but there is plenty of variation on display here. The albums single 'Dein Fleisch' has a massive Gothic feel to it and flirts a little with Industrial. 'Preacher Man' starts off with a melodic clean guitar from Mantas similar to the classic 'Buried Alive' it’s chilling and great to hear.

The track builds up and has an awesome groove to the awesome chorus. 'War' is a great piece of melodic Thrash. Album closer 'Black and Roll' is highly enjoyable and sums things up nicely. All in all a great continuation of a particular era of a great band.

The World is a better place with Venom in it and now we have two. Which is the better one is up to you... 'Ave' is a great classic Heavy Metal album plain and simple and is a great addition to a great back catalogue. Be sure to check this out and M:pire of Evil’s album if you missed it.

Review by Joe Denby