Review by ZeroSymbolic7188 for Venom - Black Metal (1982)
Conrad "Cronos" Lant, is the most under-appreciated man in all of Heavy Metal. In the way that I consider Lemmy Kilmister to be the living avatar of Rock and Rock, I consider Cronos to be the living avatar of Heavy Metal. He is without a doubt the single strongest influence on the way that I approach playing bass guitar, and the way that I think about heavy music in general. I can not praise this man highly enough.
I've heard and read many critics of Venom that say they weren't strong musicians, and that their work was amateur. I've also watched Cronos get more reaction from growling and smashing his bass with with his fist than countless "technically accomplished" musician will get shredding the paint off the walls. This is because Cronos understands his art and his audience. Heavy Metal is not about showing the world how smart you are, or how proficient you are at your instrument-it is about primal savage energy and making evil fucking sounds with your instruments. Venom taps into that inner-child I think a lot of metalheads have that just want to make noise. "Cronos make good sound. Cronos best chief," he's got a couple other tricks up his sleeve; The man can write a song and dial in a fucking heavy bass tone! His voice is a crystal clear animalistic growl that oozes charisma and fits the music perfectly. The other musicians on this album aren't rubbish either, it's just that Cronos is one of those front men with a presence that dwarves everything around him. If you need an analogue, John Deacon, Roger Taylor, and Brian May are all excellent musicians too, but when you think of Queen you think of Freddy Mercury, and so it is with Mantas, Abaddon, and Cronos.
Black Metal is the second album from Venom and while the production is still as raw as I like my steak, it's a big step up from the debut effort. Put bluntly this album sounds like a party being thrown by demons in hell, and it's lyrical content reinforces that imagine. For as dark and satanic as it is, it's primary focus is to entertain. It doesn't take itself so seriously that it stops being fun. The songs on it are all filled with not just catchy riffs, but catchy vocal phrasings. You can't listen to it without joining Cronos in whatever subject he's growling about, whether that be a trip to "Hell and Back", a telling of the evil deeds of "Countess Bathory", detailing a "S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E", or the benefits of being "Teacher's Pet".
so what are you waiting for? LAY DOWN YOUR SOUL TO THE GOD'S ROCK AND ROLL! BLACK METAL!... BLACK METAL!!!!!.. BLACK METALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!