For the best or for the worst, Venom Inc. don’t have any musical resemblance with the original band. “There’s Only Black” showcases a very different band and sonancy. Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan’s voice doesn’t sound anything at all compared to Conrad “Cronos” Lant’s. In fact, I’m still wondering to whose voice his addresses me. By the way, as a matter of fact, it’s his voice that gives the band its unique sonancy. Not only that, but his voice is able to follow the album’s bounces from some Thrash Metal influences to some NWOBHM and other modern influences as Death and Black Metal. I mean, “There’s Only Black” has a pretty much varied sonancy.
As it can be surprising to some, “How Many Can Die” showcases a pretty intricate guitar riffing with some very interesting picking. My opinion is that here the ones who criticized guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn in the past for not being a technical guitarist are proven wrong. I really don’t alive but here in the album he shows to be pretty technical. The flamboyant guitar playing that made his appearance in Venom’s early albums is here as well. To be fair with the man, it was not only him but all the band criticized for being poor musicians. It’s not what my dear child of the night will find here. “Infinitum,” a neck breaker track, has a great guitar and some inspired blast beats.
Ok, “There’s Only Black” isn’t the most groundbreaking and original album of all times, but it really does a pretty great figure. Easily to be considered one of the best albums of this year. The nicest way of retributing the original band.
Venom Inc. “There’s Only Black” will be released on September 23rd via Nuclear Blast Records.
Track Listing:
- How Many Can Die
- Infinitum
- Come to Me
- There’s Only Black
- Tyrant
- Don’t Feed Me Your Lies
- Man As God
- Burn Liar Burn
- Nine
- Rampant
- The Dance
- Inferno
Watch “There’s Only Black” official lyric video here: