VENOM "Logo" /Patch/

Second re-release of the third full-length album by the legendary British Heavy/Black/Speed Metal band.
A semi-concept album that tells the story of a war between Heaven and Hell where the latter side wins. Shortly after it reached the stores the HMV record chain withdrew the album from their shelves due to its anti-Christian content.
Though neither of their first two albums had sold in very large quantities (even by Heavy Metal standards), by 1983 Venom had become simply impossible to ignore. To be sure, their exceedingly Satanic posturing wasn't nearly as shocking as it was cartoonish, and their impenetrable dirge of embryonic Black Metal was known to clear rooms faster than a fire alarm, but somehow, these qualities only helped fuel the metal community's interest in the band. At the time, even their most promising New Wave Of British Heavy Metal contemporaries (Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, etc.) were still struggling to break out of the strictest Metal circles, but what they had, and what Venom craved above all else, was some measure of respect from the media, most of whom still viewed them as a trio of buffoons. So when it came time to record their third album, "At War With Satan", the band took desperate measures to try and validate both their technical ability as musicians and their songwriting capabilities. Their folly gave birth to the album's bloated magnum opus of a title track - a twenty-minute concept piece/sonic ordeal taking up the album's entire first half and dedicated to the lord of darkness himself.
Needless to say, Venom were simply not equipped to pull off this feat and much of "At War with Satan" is decidedly crap; and what memorable moments do crop up, are almost always neutralized by the track's massive, confusing girth. But once they got past this ill-advised anomaly, the band got back to what they did best: furiously compact two and three minute scorchers. Although they'd already squandered most of their inspiration on albums one and two, Venom's dwindling creative reserves still yielded a few very strong cuts here, most notably the blistering "Rip Ride", the vicious "Genocide" and the all-inclusive "Women, Leather and Hell". And when there's simply nothing left to say, Venom say it better than most, closing the album with the immortal relic "Aaaaaaarrghh" (possibly the funniest song ever recorded).
As with other Sanctuary/Neat re-issues, the 2002 version of "At War With Satan" is simply stellar, containing informative liner notes, rare photos and eight bonus tracks! Many of these singles ("Warhead," "Manitou") are actually better than songs that made the album, elevating "At War With Satan" 's overall grade quite a bit from its original configuration!!
Neat Records/Castle Music/Sanctuary Records, 1984/2002 (CMRCD473). Made in England. Pressed in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. At War With Satan 19:57
2. Rip Ride 3:08
3. Genocide 2:58
4. Cry Wolf 4:19
5. Stand Up (And Be Counted) 3:31
6. Women, Leather And Hell 3:21
7. Aaaaaaarrghh 2:23
Bonus Tracks:
8. At War With Satan (TV Adverts) 1:04
9. Warhead (12" Version) 3:40
10. Lady Lust (12" Version) 2:48
11. The Seven Gates Of Hell (12" Version) 5:28
12. Manitou (12" Version) 4:42
13. Woman (12" Version) 2:56
14. Dead Of Night (12" Version) 4:09
15. Manitou (Abbey Road Uncut Mix) 4:49
Total playing time: 69:13


Samples: http://www.last.fm

First time officially released the very first live album by the legendary British Heavy/Black/Speed Metal band.
One of the most legendary shows in the history of Metal now available on deluxe vinyl format!
Blistering live performance by Black Metal pioneers, recorded in 1984 at Hammersmith Odeon, London, UK, shows us the mighty Venom in all of their glory and at their best, with the huge stage and more of pyro than had veer previously been seen at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon venue!!
Back On Black, 2020 (BOBV791LP). Made in UK. Pressed in Czech. First official press.


Tracklist:

Side A
1. Leave Me in Hell 03:37
2. Countess Bathory 03:44
3. Die Hard 03:02
4. 7 Gates of Hell 05:43
5. Buried Alive 04:19

Side B
6. Don't Burn the Witch 03:20
7. Welcome to Hell 03:15
8. Warhead 03:35
9. Stand Up and Be Counted 03:31

Total playing time: 34:06 min.

The debut full-length studio album by British Thrash Metal band.
Mpire Of Evil is a band composed of former Venom members, the most notable of which is Jeff “Mantas” Dunn, Venom’s founding guitarist, who has been off the Metal radar since leaving that band over a decade ago. Filling out the trio are Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan — who did an admirable (if thankless) job fronting Venom during original bassist/vocalist Cronos’ absence in the late eighties and early nineties, and drummer Antton (Cronos’s brother), who manned the kit for Venom from 2000 to 2009.
Regarding the band’s unusual name, the band was originally called Prime Evil, after the title of Dolan’s first album with Venom. However, the name was already in use by another band, so the trio scrambled some letters and re-christened itself Mpire of Evil.
The band play tunes somewhere between Motörhead, Venom, harder-edged Euro-Traditional/Power Metal and Thrash Metal, of course. The album boasts 10 brand-new tracks displaying the band’s infectious and groovy Heavy Metal assault, conveying Mantas’ thunderous riffs, a huge rhythm section and Dolan’s abrasive vocals into a monstrous musical holocaust, which will appeal to both, old school and modern Metal fans.
"Hell To The Holy" is a great start for this veteran crew. The band is tight, the production is punchy and Mantas turns in some particularly fine work. Mantas is a legend, and it is good to hear that he can still crank out some Metal. They showed that no matter the age, they can still kick ass and obliterate most of the acts of core lying around today.
Produced by Mantas himself and featuring stunning cover artwork by Gyula Havancsák (Annihilator, Destruction, Grave Digger), "Hell To The Holy" is without any doubts a “must have” album for 2012!
Scarlet Records, 2012 (SC 217-0). Made in Italy. First press.


Tracklist:
1. Hellspawn 3:58
2. Metal Messiah 5:15
3. Waking Up Dead 4:21
4. Hell To The Holy 8:01
5. Snake Pit 4:12
6. All Hail 4:12
7. Devil 6:16
8. Shockwave 4:54
9. The 8th Gate 8:14
10. M-Pire (Prelude) 3:27
Total playing time: 52:50 min.