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VENOM “Into Oblivion”
VENOM “Into Oblivion”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Now that VENOM INC. has self-destructed, the Cronos-led VENOM emerges from the rubble as the sole inheritor of the name. It’s been a while since we’ve heard from them, but “Into Oblivion” breaks the silence with a deafening roar.
To be honest, this band will never equal their paradigm-shattering early days. Yet this version of VENOM has now endured far longer than the original triad…and on “Into Oblivion”, it really shows. This is one of the best post-Mantas albums, maybe even the best. Everything flows smoothly (with one major exception that I’ll get to), the guys are all locked into each other and some of the tracks crackle with an energy that was lacking on the last couple of VENOM releases. We all know Cronos is the man, that’s not up for debate, but Rage and Dante have elevated their game significantly here. For the first time in a long time, VENOM is a genuine three piece with all three tines of the trident in equal strength.
Expect no real earth-shattering departures in the musical department, this is the evil cranked up MOTORHEAD meets thrash songcraft we’re used to…but more impactful than it has been. “Lay Down Your Soul” is the fastest ripper VENOM has done since the glory days…it breathes fire! Also exceptional is “Death The Leveller”, which almost has a “7 Gates of Hell” feel to it. Elsewhere, the title track, “Deathwitch” and “Legend” emerge as more cracking tunes. On “As Above, So Below” and “Unholy Mother”, the band dabble in more melodic realms, with the former featuring a peculiar Latin chorus.
Not everything works. I scratch my head over the inclusion of the brief and sloppy “Dogs Of War”, which is almost a joke song in the vein of “AAARRGGHH”...a waste of two minutes. “Live Loud” and “Metal Bloody Metal” both try to be slow paced pounding anthems, but are rather average. “Kicked Out Of Hell” is fast and furious, but generic modern VENOM. Even on these tracks, the superior production and more intense performances kick things up a notch over the last couple of VENOM albums.
I think “Into Oblivion” is about as good a VENOM as we can hope for in 2026. If you’ve been off of this band for a while, pick it up, you should be satisfied with it.
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