Venom are certainly one of the most influential bands in heavy metal. They set the standard for raw and devilish metal with their first albums, which are now considered classics. Albums like “Welcome to Hell” and “At War with Satan” defined a whole new genre, which was also given a name with the “Black Metal” album. Venom continues to inspire many bands, and now, Cronos and his bandmates are launching a new album, “Into Oblivion”.
After releasing some more average records, Venom regained their power, and although the early days of anarchic metal are history, the band is still a force to be reckoned with.
Eight years after releasing their latest studio album, “Storm the Gates”, the new album is another gloomy offering from the Newcastle metal band. Cronos and his long-standing bandmates, Rage and Dante, recorded thirteen new songs.
The lead single, “Lay Down Your Soul”, gave fans an idea of what to expect from the new album, and it was a good one. “Lay Down Your Soul” is a thunderous metal song bursting with energy and featuring thrash elements. This relentless metal track is a great introduction to the album as it encapsulates the anarchic spirit the band is known for. “Kicked Outta Hell” takes a similar approach, fusing thrash metal with NWoBHM influences.
The title track starts the album with a melodic guitar riff, before Dante’s drumming shifts the gear. “Into Oblivion” is a ferocious way to start the album. The galloping “Nevermore” continues the untamed heaviness, but at a more moderate pace and with a few more facets.
On the subject of moderate paces, “Man & Beast” is another heavy, pounding metal song with a hellish grin. Venom demonstrate that heaviness isn’t solely generated by speed. A strong riff and an infectious groove are essential too.
The punk influences are more prominent in “Death the Leveller”. This unpolished punk/metal hybrid is a furious highlight of the album and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser at live shows.
“Legend”, on the other hand, is the complex counterpart to the raging “Death the Leveller”. It takes a while to explore all its twists and turns. It’s not a milestone track, and I must say that the second half of the tracklist doesn’t quite match the power of the opening songs.
There are some wild and raging tracks, such as “Live Loud” and the closer, “Unholy Mother”, which comes with an atmospheric element and shows some rock roots combined with roaring metal riffing. It’s still a demonic moment on the album, but it paints a slightly different picture compared to most of the other tracks and it might be due to the stream I received, but there are guitar parts in the second half of the songs that sound like a chainsaw. I don’t think this is intentional.
“Into Oblivion” has some great moments, mainly in the first half of the album. The second half of the tracklist contains songs that connect with blasts like “Lay Down Your Soul”, and it also seems that the band felt the need to add a few more twists and innovative elements to their raw metal. Overall, we can conclude that “Into Oblivion” demonstrates why the band and their leader are considered among the greatest in blackened metal, while the excellence of their early work remains unmatched.
Tracklist:
- Into Oblivion
- Lay Down Your Soul
- Nevermore
- Man & Beast
- Death The Leveller
- As Above So Below
- Kicked Outta Hell
- Legend
- Live Loud
- Metal Bloody Metal
- Dogs Of War
- Deathwitch
- Unholy Mother
Label: Noise
Genre: Heavy Metal
Release Date EU: May 1st, 2026
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