Venom
Resurrection

Much has been said about the Venom, and like many others, they are the classic band that clearly and decisively divides the ranks of fans. There are those who want them dead and buried already after "Black Metal" (practically their masterpiece, which pairs with their debut "Welcome To Hell") and those who, instead, appreciate even the more recent material, considering it still worthy of a band of Venom's caliber, a group that is, however one looks at it, crucial for the birth of extreme metal (as much as various Slayer, Possessed, Bathory, but also Motorhead, etc.).

I belong to the second group and consider Cronos and company a consistent band that certainly has made some bad albums (the mid-career albums, especially those without Cronos, aren't much), but has also received (unfair) criticism where there was no need, and "Resurrection" is our case in point.

The album was released in 2000, and the critics, all focused on judging which nu-metal band (note, this isn't an attack on nu-metal, but a simple acknowledgment of what was happening at the time) that emerged some years ago was the most transgressive and alternative, practically dumped these 55 minutes of new Venom in the trash, so much so that the trio then disbanded, reuniting in 2005 at Cronos' initiative (without Mantas) to produce "Metal Black" in 2006.

"Resurrection", in my opinion, was unlucky and misunderstood (or simply ignored) as there are no real weak points that cause scandal, rather, on the contrary, there are many parts of the album to be appreciated precisely for the nature of the sound, reinvigorated and made more massive by strong thrash-groove incursions (I'm not blaspheming; on the record, you can hear, at least musically, references to Pantera or early Machine Head) grafted onto the classic trademark of the English combo; what comes out of it? An honest, enjoyable album that also manages to convey a certain grit (even though 1981 had long passed).

From the initial riff of the title-track, it is immediately clear what path was chosen for this release: a solid and massive sound with Cronos's typical tone declaiming the "usual" anti-religion war lyrics. The tempo is ramped up with "Vengeance", which often references modernist thrash with seismic rhythms, square riffs, and pleasant solos.

On the same wavelength are the convincing "War Against Christ" and "All There is Fear", but it's with "Pain" that the total blows are felt, which justify buying the album. We go back a bit in time with "Pandemonium" with a main riff reminiscent of Motorhead.

"Loaded" is the other heavy hitter, with killer rhythms, a wicked chorus, and tight riffing for a short song but one that hits directly in the face; after a brief modern and melodic introduction, "Firelight" proves perhaps one of the few less inspired tracks, a fairly negligible mid-tempo. "Black Flame of Satan" is a great gallop that brings us back a bit to the days of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal (although suitably roughened up compared to the standards of those years), frantic and pressing "Control Freak", a bit anonymous "Disbeliever", "Man Myth And Magic", and "Thirteen" (indicating that perhaps a shorter tracklist would have been better), but the closure with "Leviathan" is decidedly spot-on, also leaving room for melodic moments before the sealed finale. Certain vocal lines of Cronos in the track impress, occasionally straying from the usual crude and rude enclosure.

With a few tracks less, "Resurrection," in my opinion, could easily stand alongside the early works since it proves to be an album that on one hand plays it safe (as they have always done) and on the other seeks out new escape routes that are (strangely) suitable for the band in question.

Give it another chance and reevaluate it, it deserves it.

Rating: 7.5/10