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Rating:
Pioneers of Heavy as well as inventors of Black, the English Venom made their debut in 1981 with "Welcome To Hell,” a seminal debut album that would redefine the word “Metal,” changing it once and for all.
The three satanists, in fact, not only perfected the cocoon of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, which was taking shape at that time thanks to bands such as Saxon, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, giving life to what would become the most beneficial movement for the evolution of Metal; they also shocked the minds of the conformists of the era with an undoubtedly poser attitude that nevertheless had its, let's call it, "charm" for the outcasts around the world, ready to be deluded by three guys dressed in leather and crooked crosses, which initially excited more of the Hard Rockers of the era for the clothing and behavior than for the music itself.
So, no more alleged satanic messages recorded backwards in the songs, devilish thank-yous written in tiny letters in the “Thanks To,” or poorly disguised infernal images on the covers: Venom launched their frontal assault, decorating themselves with crosses and crooked stars and using elements on stage such as Bibles that expected nothing more than to be burned. The lyrics, moreover, spoke far too clearly, with titles such as “Welcome To Hell,” “Black Metal,” “Kissing The Beast,” “At War With Satan,” and similar nonsense.
You will understand how I firmly oppose this kind of idiotic and useless attitude, but I am here to review the CD and not to tell you how idiotic these three shady characters are.
The music, the music. It’s what counts the most, ALWAYS.
The three were authors of music seen as “diabolical, blasphemous, and scandalous,” repeating yet again that rock was the music of the Devil and repeating what had already happened to the Rolling Stones with the song “Sympathy For The Devil” and even to the innocent Beatles, accused of having inspired another reputable person, such as Charles Manson, to murder the pregnant wife of Roman Polanski.
Music that, in any case, setting aside the lyrics momentarily, was absolutely Heavy, to the core, always and pleasingly Old School: thus, nothing too innovative, the true merit universally recognized to Venom was the invention of Black Metal, not even that important as far as I'm concerned, since I’d rather listen to the sound of a man defecating rather than “Satan Sex With Satan Kissing Satan Hail Satan Worship Satan” (Enough! Take inspiration from Chuck Schuldiner who also adored this group but, regarding the lyrics, thought exactly like me).
Pleasant, really pleasant (the music, I mean) and at times even really dark and obscure (Baura Baura Boglio la babbaaaaaaa!!!).
Great performance by Cronos on bass and blasphemous voice, while Mantas offers innovative riffs for the time, but which today feel like déjà vu.
Slightly underwhelming, in my opinion, is the drummer's performance, perhaps because, at those times, the drums had yet to undergo the radical evolution that came about three years later with the advent of Thrash.
Inspirational for all time to come, fast, pleasant, and dark: Dave Mustaine's favorite band sets conservative England ablaze with Heavy rhythms and strikes the prudish attention of moralists along with fellow Motorhead!
Ah, small note on the rating: musically and for the significance, the record deserves a 5, but since the lyrics are the most idiotic and stupid I’ve come across, I give it a still valid…
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
02 Welcome to Hell (03:12)
Fight, we will fight right
Living low in a world of our own
Destined to live right, fight
We're taking hell as our home
Burning lives burning,
Asking me for the mercy of God
Ancient cries crying
Acting fast upon the way of the dog
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Kill we will kill death
Masturbating on the deeds we have done
Hell commands death kill
Argue not of feel the death of sun
Burning lives burning
Asking me for the mercy of God
Ancient cries crying
Acting fast upon the way of the dog
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Leave your souls at his feet
Kiss the flames
Scorn defeat
Die we won't die live
Our choice of difference is what you'll never know
Mortal voids live die
Buried deep beneath the fall of the snow
Burning lives burning
Asking me for the mercy of God
Ancient cries crying
Acting fast upon the way of the dog
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
Welcome to hell
03 Schizo (03:30)
Children gather round him,
Mystery surrounds him,
What terrible secret does he hide,
An ordinary man,
Doing what he can,
But what goes on inside his mind.
The night draws nigh,
With darkened sky's,
Axe blade shines,
Midnight chimes.
Morning comes around,
Headless bodies found,
Our little friend just sits and smiles ha ha,
Take them home and love them,
Read the bible to them,
Be sure to kiss each one goodnight.
But come the night,
You'll freeze with fright,
Axe drawn high,
Another dies.
Creeping and searching for victims unknowing,
What fate doth await round each corner,
The take in the night,
He's got you in his sight.
Now that I have warned you,
Always look behind you,
You'll never know just who'll be there,
That harmless looking dear,
May be the one to fear,
So never trust those you don't know.
But come the night,
You'll freeze with fright,
Axe drawn high,
The bastards die.
05 Poison (04:28)
Your love is infectious
Your rotten to the core
Every body knows what you got
But they still come back for more
Your everybodys favourite
You give them all a good time
Your loves a total disaster
But when they sign the dotted line they're
Poisoned
One night with you and you've got me
Poisoned
Making love with the devils daughter
Poisoned
One night with you and you've got me
Poisoned
That dirty little bitch has got me
Poisoned
Sitting close beside me
Hand upon my zip
Don't bother to take it down, honey
It's about to rip
She's mammy's little virgin
Her daddy's all in pride
But she welcomed me with opened legs
Kept me satisfied
Tell me that you love me
Say you'll never leave
The more I give the more you take
The more that you receive
I got you down beneath me
Open wide (ha,ha..)
I'm gonna make you pay for all
The times you've cheated and lied
07 Witching Hour (03:40)
Come hear the moon is calling
The witching hour draws near
Come hear the bell is tolling
Mortals run in fear
Prepare the altar now and hear the virgin cry
Hold fast the sacrafice
For now it's the time to die
All hell breaks loose
Hell's breaking loose
Unveil the pentagram
And feel the demons lust
Come watch the holy men
Who look on in disgust
Come taste blood
And feel the heat of satan's breath
Look in the sky's and see
The warriors of death
All hell breaks loose
Hell's breaking loose
Witching hour
Our work is now complete
The blood runs fast and free
And satan takes his bride
And cry's of blasphemy
All hell rejoices at the child
That she will bear
And satans only son
Shall be the worlds despair
All hell breaks loose
Hell's breaking loose
Witching hour
08 One Thousand Days in Sodom (04:33)
Unholy city a sinners delight
No-one was spared out of mind, out of sight
Hatred and slaughter, degredation and lust
Self destruction never counting the cost
No-one knew the suffering
Behind the city walls
No-one heard the cry for help
No-one heard the call
One thousand days in sodom
One thousand days in sodom
The ways of god forgotten
One thousand days in sodom
Children slaughtered daily there mothers by their sides
No mercy given no matter how they cried
The smell of death was near
It's presence ever near
The priests lay bound in chains no-one would ever hear
No-one knew the blasphemy
The torture and the pain
No-one saw the madness
The priests, they died in vain
One thousand days in sodom
One thousand days in sodom
The ways of god forgotten
One thousand days in sodom
Day completes its cycle and night takes on its role
Satan's cloak shrouds the land and his children spill their fold
No golden cross of heaven
Or ancient key of kings
Could save the world of sinners when the midnight sabbath rings
Few could hear the suffering
And the pain of ripping flesh
But those who did were damned in hell
And breathed their final breath
One thousand days
One thousand years you've lived your life in hell
09 Angel Dust (02:39)
Living
Running
Out on the streets at night
Searching
Hoping
For the right connection coz'
I need it, want it
You know I've got to have it
Takes me higher than anything I know
Angel Dust
Need a shot to see me through the day
Angel Dust
Want a lot I've got to get away
I live my life
Like there's no tomorrow
Take no
chances
I'm drowning all my sorrows coz' I
Need it, want it
You know I've got to have it
Takes me higher than anything I know
Laughing
Crying
Every night and day
I know
You know
That I'm a different man because I
Need it, want it
You know I've got to have it
Takes me higher than anything I know
10 In League With Satan (03:32)
I'm in league with satan
I was raised in hell
I walk the streets of Salem
Amongst the living dead
I need no one to tell me
What's wrong or right
I drink the blood of children
Stalk my prey at night
Chorus . .
Look out beware
When the full moon's high n'bright
In every way I'm there
In every shadow in the night
Coz I'm evil in league with satan
Evil in league with satan
2 I'm in league with satan
Obey his commands
With the goat of Mendes
Sitting at his left hand
I'm in league with satan
I love the dead
No one prayed for Sodom
As the people fled
3 I'm in league with satan
I am the masters own
I drink the juice of women
As they lie alone
I'm in league with satan
I bear the devils mark
I kill the new born baby
Tear the infants flesh
11 Red Light Fever (05:10)
I need a woman oh so bad
You ever get the feeling you've been had
You pay your money you pay the price
You take a chance and it feels so nice
Later maybe you wonder why
This little lady's gonna suck you dry
Bitch
You walk the streets as the darkness falls
You try to pass but the red light calls
When it's done and you've had your fun
You gotta treat yourself like number one
Maybe, even though she treats me bad
She's not the only one I've ever had
Bitch
I need to feel it baby can't you see
I need a girl to set my venom free
I'm going in can't you feel
Feels so good now I've broke the seal
I tell you babe I'm never satisfied
Aint gonna die for those tears you cried
Bitch
Your makin love just like a young girl should
You move me baby like no other could
You give me love but I can see
Your lovin' isn't only meant for me
If it's a living what the hell
I see you've only got your love to sell
Bitch
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Other reviews
By thetrooper
"Venom really started to shake up all the contemporary heavy metal ... by exaggerating the various NWOBHM stylistic elements."
"Without a doubt, this album is a metal music classic, and partly thanks to it, today we can listen to various bands from the extreme hard’n’heavy area."
By Rocky Marciano
Venom planted the seeds not only for the birth of black metal but equally so for thrash metal.
Three rough guys pulled out with primordial chaos and so much ignorance and fury a rotten and shocking sound entirely new, shouting 'Welcome to Hell' to the young metalheads.
