Venom

Resurrection

New beginnings (hopefully) in wait.

Review Score:

(2/10)
I've rated this album 1 star but it should not be rated at all. I consider Resurrection as a transition to a future yet unknown for the First Black-Metal band in history.

First, the good things : the new look.

Free from the so awful Neat Records, which never gave the band their so deserved money / artistic freedom, Venom presents here a creation just as they wanted it to be : (graphic) design done by David Palser which convey a true Satanic feeling, whereas the so-famous Norsecore trend look (black and white pictures, posing with make-up and plastic weaponry) convey only a true feeling of Stupidity, (german) high-class production, the exit of Abaddon, a good drummer in the beginning of the band, but now more interested in industrial / keyboard music - listen to his creations in "Cast In Stone" - and in Christianity - not a thing to do if you want to play in Venom !, all seems very promising.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned promises are at best postponed, and here is why : Two third of the songs (Control Freak, Vengeance, Loaded, Pain, All There Is Fear, Disbeliever, Thirteen, Firelight) are good in their own rights, but are simply not Venom. Either the music or the lyrics (for example, Firelight has great music, but what about the lyrics ?) are out of the place Venom kept on setting since their beginnings more than twenty years ago.

The other third (War Against Christ, Black Flame, Man Myth and Magic), are true Venom. They are also unfinished.(or way too simple). They all begin with one minute of greatness, but that minute keeps on repeating itself and itself until the end of the song !

Even songs from "Transilvanian Hunger", "The Oath of Black Blood", or from "Satanic Blood" had more variations.

Most balanced songs are the first (Resurrection) and the last (Leviathan), but with all the changes presented, expectations were much, much higher.

To top it off, here is the worst problem of this album : the LACK OF AGGRESSION, in other words NO FAST SONGS. No "Raised in hell", no "Flight of the hydra", and don't even think of "Witching Hour" or "Black Metal". No double bass drums chaos at all, no violent change of rhythm during the whole album, please tell me how do you call Metal whithout dark heavyness or brutality ? You surely don't call it Black Metal. The safety of all the songs here is very disturbing indeed.

So here you have it : 14 good songs of "Canada Dry" Black Metal. The most sad thing is that the band do not seem to be aware of it. All we can hope is that Venom, which sincerely claims to be eager to keep on its attitude, will find it back as soon as possible.

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