Reviews (page 2 of 7)
This is exactly my kind of thing. Really liked this album. Brings great energy.
Loved having this as my Sunday AM soundtrack !
Very nice, bit not mine.
I don't know what was in the water in England in the late 70s/early 80s (it certainly wasn't fluoride), but the metal is fucking spectacular, and this album is no exception.
Listened to it for two minutes and stopped. To turn the volume up to the max and start again! The only way it should be! Why people who dislike metal are so humorless? We, metalheads, love Venom because a) we can take ourselves not seriously b) we can't take that satanic bullshit seriously. (2nd wave black metal not counting). So, yeah, people who wrote reviews Spinal Tap are not far from truth, but I don't believe that it's a bad thing. It's like people are hating on fun, just because it includes some shocking values. As for music? Songs are amazing. Production is good. Just listen to the Mantas' guitar and Abaddon's snare drum. It's not underproduced, it's intentionally the way it's supposed to be. My favourite here is Raise The Dead. It makes me wanna dance. Actually most of the album makes me want to dance, because it's just loud and raw rock 'n' roll. My only complain is that their first album "Welcome To Hell" is even better.
What do you get when combining trash metal with satanism? An album that name a whole metal style! Pure gold!
Une bonne dose de satanisme une fois de temps en temps fait du bien. J'écoute Black Metal quand même assez souvent ces dernières années.
Metal and Satanic music! Loved this shit!
A classic! It's odd how "un" heavy this sounds now.
A really influential album that blew my expectations out of the water. This album is the blueprint for what was to come from 80’s metal (especially in the underground) of course Black Metal took a lot of inspiration from Venom and specifically this album and I can see where Slayer got their early sound and whammy crazed solos. Amazing album!
THE ORIGINAL BLACK METAL!!!
This is a very good album and a very important influence to a lot of the early thrash and death metal bands. Yes, it's a little silly but so is a lot of the crap on this site that people fawn over. It's an easy 4 star album that I'm giving 5 stars to because of a lot of the anti-metal snobbery on display.
fire
Bad ass metal. It’s like a concoction of Motorhead, MetallicA and Sepultura born in the depths of hell and sent to Earth as a true “Metal up your ass!” album. “Don’t Burn The Witch” is heavy!! It’s a bit of a long album, but I’ll forgive them as some of the tracks from the Radio 1 Session go hard. Some have mentioned Tenacious D. LOL. “Punk rock tried to kill The Metal, but they failed as they were smite to ground”
Let's not beat around the bush here. Is this album simple? Yeah. Is it stupid? Yeah, a little. Is it primitive? Sure sounds like. Is it not mixed the best? I can't tell production apart most of the time, and even I can tell you that this isn't the greatest production job in the world. To most people, any combination of those things would be enough to condemn this thing to the realm of low ratings. But let's be real: to people like me, this is what makes this album awesome. There's quite a few genres of music out there where I don't ask much from them. Country music is probably the biggest, but coming right up behind it is metal music. And, I mean, we get into how I feel about all of the various sub- and micro-genres of metal, but let's just stick to the base level, and on that front... I mean, jeez, as long as there's loud, chugging riffs and some lyrics about war, mythology, The Devil or how great metal is, I'd be hard pressed to dislike it. That doesn't mean I'll just eat up any old slop; I **do** have standards. It's just that BLACK METAL easily meets them, and then some. Frankly, it's one of those "I don't have much to say about this album" albums, 'coz I'm not sure how I could really express my feelings on this thing besides just motioning to the music and going "Yeh?" And if you don't get it, well, then I really don't know what to tell you. It's like... OK, so I've seen some reviews of this album compare it to Tenacious D, right? Or even just straight-up call it parody in a derisive way. Well, I'm not only someone who loves Weird Al, but also someone who loves Meat Loaf's BAT OUT OF HELL precisely because it comes across as so parodic that it wraps back around to being awesome. And, yeah, that's BLACK METAL to me. Besides "Teacher's Pet", there's nothing I can think of to knock it for — and even then, if I'm fine with a song like "Hot For Teacher"... Honestly, I feel like I really hafta appreciate an album like BLACK METAL. There's no pretensions to it, and I don't hafta think up any big, deep reasons why I like it. There's no poetry I hafta scrutinize; no complex musicality I hafta squint my ears at; no long history I need to know; no big emotions I hafta pull out if it... All I need is my raw, gut reaction of "Hell yeah." And as much as I do enjoy albums that give me a bit more to chew on, every now and then, it's just nice to have something I can enjoy so simply. For me, you can chalk this up as another victory for the New Wave Of British Metal, right alongside Iron Maiden and Motörhead. Good-ass shit. ('N really, I'm glad this is only "black metal" in name only and not in sound. Now **that's** a sub-genre I don't recall being too hot on, I tell yah...)
Truly kickass metal, through and through. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 4.5 that I’m gonna just barely bump up to a 5 because how well it stuck the landing on the last track. Seriously, “Don’t Burn the Witch” is that fucking good. If it were even a little bit worse, I’d be at a 4 that I admire a lot, but it seriously nails it, and I think I have to go up. It’s very weird for me to give a 5 to an album with a sort of slower start, because the first 2 tracks here set a really awkward tone. Literally, that first track starts off with a truly awful tone, with whatever that scratchy-ass sound is. The mixing is off, the lyricism is bland, the vocals feel a little sickly, and the reverb muzzles some of the bite it’s going for. There’s still something compelling there, though, & while the second track builds upon it nicely with some great guitar work, this album still doesn’t really break through until “Buried Alive” starts. It is really a vibe shift once that slower, grungier guitar comes in – the album finds a brand new level of confidence that it never really lets go of; the production feels better, the grit in the vocals gets a really nice presence, the reverb is used more effectively, & the lyricism expands to provide way more imagery, in a way that makes each track feel more vivid, for better or for worse (especially for ‘worse’ on “Teacher’s Pet”). It really makes the album feel better for the rest of its run time, and it hits a pretty damn good stride. I have to acknowledge it – “Teacher’s Pet” is an insanely awkward song. It sticks out here for how different it is from the rest of the album, lyrically, & it’s just an insane thing to write a song about to begin with. There’s a clear difference from something like “Hot for Teacher” by Van Halen & this, and one’s enjoyment of the track really depends on the tolerance for the lyrics. I don’t think I have the tolerance for the lyrics, but obnoxiously enough, I think the track might have either the best or second-best production on the album. At its very, very worst, it’s got some consensually awkward shaming involved that feels far too intimate for my tastes, even in a comically exaggerated way. It’s not a bad listen at all, though, which is why it’s not knocking this album down to a 4. Sure as hell not a playlist track, though. Really, the most impressive thing here is that this is from 1982 – it’s not the craziest heavy metal in the world, but all of the proper tones for the faster advancements of heavy metal throughout the 80s are here, especially in terms of setting the stage for a band like Metallica to take it to another level. I would even argue this is a pretty handy prototype for some of the 90s grunge to come as well. I don’t think this sounds quite the same as what modern “black metal” is considered to be, but it all has to start somewhere. Objectively, this is probably a 4, but between its historical significance, & the way it just nails the finish so well, that I feel safe about bumping it up to a 5. At the very, very least, I don’t think it’s deserving of a 2.46 average on the site. That’s criminally wrong. P.S.: I’ve never really heard an album end with a teaser for the next one. That’s pretty fucking cool.
kind of shocked by the relative apathy a lot of ppl seem to hold for this! obviously this sows the seeds of extreme metal w/ the lofi sound and the earnestly Evil aesthetic and the running w/ the hardest fastest edge of NWOBHM's fringes, but it hasnt quite crossed over and thus its fundamental appeals lie almost entirely in heavy metal. there is still a clarity of direction and a tunefulness that has yet to be stripped down to pure riffs and vibes, yet in a way that still represents a leap forward in abrasiveness and aggression (as opposed to say, later meloblack, which is a conscious de-escalation). short and sweet, extremely fun! dont know whats not to love tbh
Happy to see this show up. The first couple tracks come out hard and fast. Let's be clear - it's not black metal as we know it now. But if you wanted Motorhead to be more extreme, this is it. There's still catchy songwriting here and the production is effective with the raw guitar tone and unyielding drum and bass backbone. Buried Alive slows things down and has a groovier feel with some great lead work. The tempo kicks way back up on Raise the Dead and stays there for the next few tracks. Just punishing riffs and dark, grimy speed metal. Sacrifice is a highlight, and then Heaven's on Fire is even more aggressive, especially the drumming. Countess Bathory is more mid tempo with a killer riff and heavy drumming. Maybe the best track so far, but Don't Burn the Witch opens with a twisted, evil riff and then pummels you into submission. Bang your fucking head. I even love the spooky outro (which is actually the intro to their next album) and then it fades out. Required listening for metalheads, but this may appeal to other folks too.
Cool
Glad I’m not the only one to immediately think of Tenacious D - weird growing up with and knowing deeply the parody of something, then only experiencing the real deal at age 29. Totally skews the experience - feel similarly about Flight of the Conchords and a lot of folk music
I am a big fan.
Brutally perfect!
No soy demasiado fan de Venom, pero este disco marcó un antes y un después
Hail satan
My early metal memories in one perfect banger of an album 666 stars or 5 cause that option ain’t avail
Really good album. Awesome drum lines. Very 80s metal sound.
"Black Metal" is the second album by English heavy metal band Venom. It was released in 1982 during the new wave of British heavy metal but unlike the music of those particular bands, this is firmly planted in the thrash, speed, death and black metal scenes. There's actually disagreements as to which one but who cares; I heard elements and songs in all of them. They cover all the basic metal themes: Satanism, witchcraft, nightmares, horror mythology and teenage sexual fantasy. The album received critical acclaim and is considered one of the most influential albums released, especially in the Norwegian black metal scene. The first side "Black" opens with a chainsaw on steel plates in the self-titled "Black Metal." And why wouldn't you open like that. It goes right into a thrash metal style and sounds like it was recorded underwate. But, it works. Lead singing Conrad "Cronos "Lant repeating "black metal." Impressive drumming by Anthony "Abaddon" Brey. Sand and a cardboard box were used to create the sound of dirt being shovelled on a coffin in "Buried Alive." A priest delivers a prayer as a gong strikes. Eerie guitar notes lead into a heavy sludgy/grungy bass and drums. "Summon the dead!" A ripping guitar opens "Sacrifice." A thunderous rhythm section. This is melodic speed metal. Yes, I said that. "The moon is black and the witches dance, heaven is denied. Sacrifice!" A guitar riff based on the children show "The Magic Roundabout" opens "Countess Bathory." Dave Grohl said that the open to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" is actually based on that riff. Yes, I hear it. The song just kicks into a heavy groove. Pretty standard heavy metal but just rocks. I also hear Randy Rhoads' "Over the Mountain" in the guitar riff. Great song. This album is fantastic. I needed this today. The band does change their style throughout from speed to thrash to more heavy and sludgy. I heard a lot of future metal in their songs especially Metallica's "Kill 'Em All." What they lack in technical ability they make up in attitude and delivery. At times, the production did sound muddled but it didn't bother me too much. This album is an essential must listen to if you're a metal or even hardcore punk fan.
I much prefer their previous album to Black Metal, but this album solidifies Venom’s influence in what would become the extreme metal subgenres.
Great Metal classic. I enjoyed it a lot and listened to it twice.
good heavy metal
Rips.
This what started extreme metal. Thrash and black metal (and by expansion death metal) would not exist without the sloppy but heavy sound of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon. It is very much a product of it's time, since nowadays it could be considered cheesy and messy. Back in it's day however this was the epitome of evil.
Over the top imagery, speed and subject matter. They really got it right and its no surprise they got copied by so many bands to come after them. I love hearing the little things they did on this album that other bands capitalized on, my favorite being the palm muted chugging rhythm guitar on a couple songs like Countess Bathory. They really missed the mark with Teacher's Pet though, should have let Van Halen blaze that trail alone. That being said, if you don't like or understand metal you probably wont like this. HAIL SANTA!
Honestly this album reminds me so much of when i first moved to san francisco. Listneing to High on Fire, Witchcraft, pentagram, electric wizard. For some reason living in the mission made me hellbent on being a motorcycle riding skateboarding metalhead that lived on 24th st. Great memmys.
This is exactly the kind of trash I love. I saw the other reviews and kept wondering when it would fall off, but this did everything right for me. It’s high energy, ignorant, and fun. Perfect for lifting heavy at the gym or driving fast.
So many albums and bands inspired by this record. Some good riffs on here even if the production is ropey at best. Well deserves its place on the list.
This album has a long history for me. When I was 14, I started listening to black metal, and the first bands I listened to were Ulver, Burzum, Darkthrone, and Venom. I used to listen to this album every night, and I still feel melancholic when I hear those bands mentioned earlier. I rarely listen to black metal now, but when I came across this album again, I was very happy. It makes me want to go back to being a 14-year-old kid.
One thing for sure… this cover of this album pretty much had me expecting exactly what was delivered. The real surprise is how listenable this is. The music is catchy! The lyrics made me laugh quite often. Back in 1982 this would seem like a sure sign my soul was in peril. A terrified 14 year old me would have been clutching my pearls and plagued with nightmares. Today an amused 55 year old me hears a quaint parody of evil. Simpler times… *sigh* Maybe if it were any other day I’d give this a lower score… but Black Metal is a perfect romp on a Halloween afternoon!
LOVE this!!!! Opener is FIRE! / Buried Alive is giving goth/metal anthem! Raise The Dead is fun. Album so far is a 5. Maybe a very strong 4, just because there are other metal albums I would consider a 5, that I find more iconic (for me), that deserve some distinction. So perhaps just to acknowledge the others, I will give this 4, but objectively a perfect album that deserves a 5. Maybe I’ll give it a 5. Let’s wait and see… Fuck it. It’s a 5. So fun.
Vaak over gehoord, nooit geluisterd. Dit is top. Lekker ruig. Mooie brug tussen Black Sabbath en Metallica.
Objectively, this is a terrible album. From Amy other perspective, it's a work of raw genius. Hilarious and deadly serious in equal measure, not much else comes close to capturing the excitement and anger of being a teenage metalhead - not to mention it inspired an entire genre.
It's hard to think of a metal album that is so influential as this is, that is also equally unknown to the general public. But without the seeds planted here, we might not have thrash, death, or black metal. Not to mention the whole thing slaps front to back.
I was 13 when this came out. I was balls deep into zeppelin and never heard of this until I’m an old guy. Thanks 1001 thing. Thanks weed. Wonderful.
Truly a groundbreaking album in the world of metal!
Not a fan of metal usually, but I got to chnage my mind for this one ! fire !
There are better bands than Venom for sure, but this is still solid stuff. Their influence outweighs their enjoyability but without Venom it's hard to imagine Slayer existing. Without Venom who knows how the world of extreme metal might have been influenced? In the end I gotta throw this a 5. Especially because the people that can't handle a little metal have the average on this album waaaay too low.
This is great. Really fun, Satan worshipping thrash metal. The directness in they way they approach their subject matter is hilarious and the songs are narratively complex, the imagery within each evoking a clear story. The little interludes and extra sound effects really give off the impression they were having a great time making it. Teacher's Pet has dethroned Hot for Teacher as the definitive song about inappropriate student-teacher relations. I did find that the mixing on a few of the tracks made the instruments sound a bit hollow, but they get a pass for being one of the first thrash albums. Despite it's age, it holds up incredibly well, and to me this is the gold standard of great metal. Fav Tracks: Buried Alive, Raise The Dead, Teacher's Pet, Leave Me In Hell
FUCK. YES. Teenage Satan metal at its most delightfully neanderthal and teenage. The over the top, hydrogen bomb subtlety of the thing would, of course, have kind of grim repercussions a decade later, when a bunch of kids in Norway approached it without any irony and started setting things on fire... but for all that there's a certain magnificence in its recorded-in-a-week grottiness. I get far more joy from this than a lot of other "better", more reputable records.
cool
On paper I should have hated this but (never thought I'd say this) thought it was amazing. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it in an ironic (School of Rock/Spinal Tap) way. But it made me smile, it made me bop, it kept me entertained) and it plain rocks. Teacher's Pet especially made me laugh. In a good way
Black Metal!
A classic!
Thoroughly enjoyed this for my shower day album. A little Motörhead, a little Metallica. It's nice to be able to understand the lyrics, and screaming guitar solos, balls to the wall drive and drums. I knew Venom from, kudos to Hairball John's metal radio show, In Memory Of, which was a banger. This whole album was a ride, shame my stereo doesn't go to 11. 4.
The correct way to approach this album is to think of it as homework. Hard it you don't get it, but once you do, you'll feel accomplished. Not an album I would listen to all the time, but then again I don't listen to Black Flag's Damaged, Bathory, or even Rakim on the regular for the same exact reason. I had a lot of fun hearing the early thrashy riffs and fast drumming. Vocals and Lyrics are doing something that had never been done before! A privilege that these recordings were documented!
It sounds like what a non metal listener thinks metal sounds like. The singer screams like he’s set in flames, like he’s in pure agony every time.
Álbum excelente de Thrash Metal. Muito influente e com um clima musical de terror muito legal. QoA Vesper.
Overall: 7/10 The vocals are bad, the production is almost unlistenable and the instrumentation is kind of lackluster. None of that stopped me from having a really great time with album. Everybody has to start somewhere, and I hear so much of my favourite bands in this album that it wouldn't have shocked me if this came out a few years later than it did. If you enjoy bands like Slayer, Death or even Lamb of God, then you need to acknowledge how important this album is to the history of metal. I also enjoy that these guys don't take themselves seriously at all. For all of it's flaws, it's a fun album. Fav Song: Black Metal
4 out of 5. Breath of fresh air after getting Madonna and Sheryl Crow back-to-back.
This was lit; it reminds me of being in high school and binging Death's whole discography.
I expected this to be cheesier
This was better than I expected. I can see why this album inspired a whole sub genre of Metal. My problem was that most of the songs were about the same thing. So, that got to be a little boring. This album took me out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed myself. Would I listen to this album again? Probably not.
It was interesting I'm glad I listened to it
Black metal genesis
I was an 80s thrash metal kid and respect the massive influence this band had on thrash and other extreme metal genres that followed. I only remember having 2 Venom albums as a kid and this wasn't one of them. They were 'At War With Satan' and 'Calm Before the Storm,' which were definitely albums to keep hidden from your parents in the 'Satanic Panic' era that swept the US in the 80s. That being said, I'm not a particularly big Venom fan. But I'll give this at least a 4 for the reaon that it was so highly influential. And Venom does still have one of the coolest logos in metal.
(light 7 out of 10) Venom as a band have more in common with Lordi than Celtic Frost or Mayhem, but that doesn't mean this isn't THAT corny or unserious. The band plays pretty gnarly sounding heavy and speed metal, the title track for instance is a declaration to metal's existence as a genre and is catchy as fuck. Other highlights for me are the slayer-adjacent "Raise the Dead" and the epic closer "Don't Burn The Witch" (even though it ends on a kind of confusing note). The main thing holding this record back for me is the production and sound. The guitars frankly, sound awful. When the bass guitar does make it's presence known it's pretty deep and rumbly (like the bass solo on Countess Bathory), but for the most part there's not a whole lot of low-end filling out the sound. The vocals are pretty much what you'd expect, but I prefer the overblown camp of say, Anvil, to this. It's just kind of grating after a while. Also the song "Teacher's Pet" just kind of sucks also lol. So yeah it's not perfect whatsoever, but it's pretty entertaining in pockets and I can definitely appreciate the importance of this band and this record in the greater picture of metal music, I just prefer what stemmed from this.
Soundtrack for a sunny Sunday morning stroll through my neighborhood. Photographing birds that aren’t birds. Perfect.
Det var en fed oplevelse at høre! Klart i den bedre ende af metal scenen fra 80erne. Cool nok at kunne kalde sig Black metallens fædre.
OK
*Started off slow and I was thinking I would give it a 2. *By track 4 the speed metal kicked in and I was thinking a 4 or 5 *I settled on a 4 because its a 3 for the music with a bonus point for historical significance. The top tracks are great metal guitar.
Would throw on again if I’m feeling edgy.
Grating, harsh and unpleasant... and yet the over-the-topness is pretty entertaining
An album so influential it helped to create not only the aesthetic of a ehole genre it created one of it's own.
METAL.
HAIL SA-! Yeah, this a fun one
Et album som ga navn til en sjanger. Derfor interessant at dette ikke akkurat er black metal slik vi kjenner det, men snarere en litt raskere og mer ekstrem heavy metal (altså speed metal). Jeg liker det i alle fall godt. Interessant tekst på Teacher’s Pet, må sies. Top 3: Countess Bathory, Buried Alive, Black Metal
Not of My likeness, but this record is a huge influence in the gente, pioneers, is not easy to listen.
This is an undeniable classic, despite being such a niche sound that many will avoid it. So many dark metal bands have been influenced by this record. This was one of those "almost mainstream" type metal records that everyone was blown completely away by. Like or hate the whole "hail satan" thing, Venom is undeniable.
Interesting, fun, right up my street, but obviously not to everyone's taste. Clearly influential. Definitely a good one today.
Most people can agree that the Satanic Panic was overblown. Just because someone has dark themes in their music, it doesn't mean that they actually worship Satan. Fewer people on this site agree that "Black Metal" is a great album. I think it deserves more than a 2.4 overall rating. The drumming and riffs are so addictive. 4 stars for "Black Metal".
ça me parle bien !
I really enjoyed this, I had nerver heard it nor heard of the band, a bit of a kick in the teeth. Off to go through their back catalogue.
Black metalll
4/5
If you’re not into metal you are probably going to struggle with this, but that ain’t me, and this is great. You can clearly see the influence they had on Metallica and early thrash in general, but even without what came after this is still really enjoyable. Crackling with energy, overblown (and slightly daft in places) lyrics, but as a whole it’s just good.
Not really actual black metal, but damn this still goes hard. I think that a lot of metal from around the same time has aged a lot better, but purely for its heaviness this is super ahead of its time. Some of the guitar playing even for today's standards is insane, but then you realise that this came out in NINETEEN EIGHTY TWO. 80s metal is a real gamble whether it's going to be the greatest thing you've ever heard, or some cheesy garbage that aged worse than milk. And while this isn't quite in the same league as some of my all time favourites in 80s metal, it's still incredibly ahead of its time and still does hold up surprisingly well.
Enjoyed that. Feels more 70s than 80s
A very generous Metal Bump on this one. Definitely a case where other bands took what Venom did, but did it better (very disappointing that Mayhem and Emperor don't appear on this list).
very hype
bangers
This one is tough to rate. On one hand I really enjoy metal and there is not a lot of metal on this list, on the other hand this album doesn't sound great. Ultimately, I enjoy this album even though there's a ton of better metal out there.
Venom’s Black Metal was one of the pioneering albums and sounds of the Black Metal genre. I had listened to Venom before and knew some of their discography, this album is pure aggression and an amazing album. It’s raw, in your face, fast paced with dark themes and imagery! I’d 100% listen to again, it’s an extremely influential album in the realms of thrash, black and heavy metal
I smiled all the way through the album.
These goofy dudes. You probably wouldn't believe the impact this tongue-in-cheek piece had in a decade, or that the genre and counterculture which bore this album's title did actually strike fear in the hearts of normies at the mere sight of us freaks back then. Yes it's not very good, they weren't serious about devil worship, and neither were us, although a few dabbled with it. What we were serious about was the rejection of the worldview which was placed upon our generation, except pretty soon most forgot about that and became alcoholics, drug addicts, went to business school, or all of the above.
7/10
Aware that this is going to be a polarizing album. Many just don't enjoy metal, while others won't be able to appreciate the influence from Venom and this album in particular. Still others will be repelled by the theming or the sound quality that becomes mainstream for many metal subgenres. As a metal fan, I absolutely loved this and appreciated its inclusion.
“Lay down your soul to the gods rock and roll… BLACK METAAAAL!” We metalheads would call this thrash or speed metal now, but Venom really did birth the black metal subgenre here. They created the esthetics, satanic themes, and sonic realm that other bands would run with. A damn good listen in a vacuum, but monumental when its influence is accounted for.
Hadn't heard of them so I checked wikipedia and saw the 1982 release date. I figured I was in for something good. This makes me want to mosh like Beavis and Butthead! If this had come out ten years later it would've been cartoonish, instead it's a blueprint for a lot of what followed. Very cool.
It may have spawned an entire genre but my mildly informed ears tell me this album doesn’t deliver the trademark sound of its name. Nevertheless, this is great listen; sludgy, filthy, lo-fi metal that is genuinely way ahead of its time. It works on a serious level and it works if it’s not taken too seriously. Obviously it won’t be for everyone but I’d take this over tons of slick, overproduced albums that take themselves far too seriously.
Wow. This is interesting! Something that I've found with the metal representation of this list is that it likes to include albums that influenced specific metal subgenres but are not really part of said subgenres themselves. Slayer was undoubtedly an influence on what would become death metal, but Reign in Blood is not a death metal album. It's just a particularly heavy thrash record. Iron Maiden's operatic vocals and epic energy helped to provide a basis for the birth of power metal, but they themselves were just a good old fashioned heavy metal band. And then we have the clearest example of this yet, Venom's 1982 album Black Metal. As some of you might know, black metal happens to be among the more prevalent metal subgenres in the metal fandom. This style that focuses on lo-fi production, satanic lyrics, and screech-like vocals really got its start in the 90s through Norwegian bands like Mayhem and Darkthrone, but its influence can be dated back to albums like this. At first glance, this album has many of the features that I just listed as the defining traits of black metal. In fact, as has probably become obvious to you by now, this album is actually the namesake of the black metal genre itself! So, that's pretty cool, right? The influence that this band and album had on the scene to come are immense! However, many metal fans don't particularly consider this album to be "black metal" in the sense of the genre that they know and love. Many regard this to just be a particularly lo-fi speed metal album, likening this to "Motörhead, but with shitty production." Now, I'm not the biggest metal expert on the planet. I'm more knowledgeable than most people doing this project (probably), but I'm still not deeply ingrained in the culture or anything, so I can't say for sure what type of metal I'd call it. Speed metal? Black metal? I'll just be over here calling it good. I like this album, okay? Admittedly, the production is low quality, but I don't know; that kinda gives it more edge, you know? It feels right for the music. The riffs are cool. I think these songs sound pretty cool and spooky. The vocals are very fitting and they're fun. The writing isn't always great. "Teacher's Pet" is kinda wack. But for the most part, I think the writing here is good enough. I think this album's pretty fun. It's got a dark energy that's clearly not sinister in any genuine way, but is still the kind of thing that I can really get behind. It's not the greatest metal album ever, but it's good enough for me. Low 4/5.
Basically Motörhead (literally one of these songs sounds exactly like “Ace of Spades” with the lyrics changed), but more explicitly about Satan/spooky stuff. I actually really dug it.
Satan rules
Oh, I really like this. I had heard about the influence of venom so I was intrigued to hear a full album. It is not as inaccessible as I expected. In fact it sounds a lot like motorhead to my ears. I think they could have binned off teachers pet and I don't like the idea of a preview of your next album as a last track... But beyond that I think I like everything. The lofi-ness was off putting at first, but once you're into the first track you just get used to it. The imagery is pure theatre and quite funny in its way. You can see how that was influential. It's mad that some of these tracks were first written in 1970!!! So ahead of it's time there, although I dunno what state they were in then, I assume quite different since it was another 9 years before this came out. I'd like to hear their first album now! I'm not sure this is quite a 5, but it's a high 4.
Hell yeah. Big influence on those naughty Norwegians.
🤟666🤟 ⚡️⚡️
Metalhead that I am, it seems inconceivable that I've not heard this before. There's clearly lots of influential material here, and I can see why Venom are held up as pioneers of the thrash genre. The production is a bit naff, which is a shame because there's some decent tracks struggling to get out and some very obvious trail blazing sounds. The 'Big Four' and Voïvod all cite Venom as being responsible for shaping their sound. It's a bit heavy on the satanic elements! Tempted. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ Important ★★★★☆ (7/10)
It’s very protozoan, it’s not quite thrash, not quite black metal, a bit iron maiden, a bit punky. Loved it back in the 2000s but more quietly appreciate it now.
ha-ha-hail satanas that's fun
Global average less than 2.5 is definitely too low.. heard a lot of similarity to Metallica, Ozzy, Megadeth etc, and those groups are certainly regarded higher. Production value is lower so that hurts a bit but this sounds fairly influential.. 4/5
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Classic metal. Very nice
Just some solid classic speed. Nothing too fancy nor does it need to be. Great stuff with not many standouts, just consistently great track you can put on and leave the album on repeat for hours. 8/10
This album inspired a bunch of freaks to go and burn churches and murder eachother in Norway, revenge a thousand years in the making for the Viking Age? Not just that, but apparently one of the tracks on here inspired the riff for Smells Like Teen Spirit. The context and history of this album aside, it's A LOT of fun to listen to. If I heard this when I was 14 I would have loved this shit and been a little bit crestfallen that these guys were taking the piss. This album is clearly a bunch of dudes having a lot of fun, they seem like they would have been phenomenal to see back in their heyday. The only song on here I didn't care that much for was Teacher's Pet as it feels like it's simulating what it's like to be a lone woman being heckled and harassed by a group of drunken English lads, probably. So points for atmosphere, I guess. Not without flaw, but also very, very listenable. It doesn't want to make me burn a church per se, but I do really wanna put on some corpse paint, wear all black and stab one of my mates to death. Highlights: Buried Alive, Leave Me in Hell, Countess Bathory
7/10 A bit conflicted on this. Not sure why exactly.
Fucking rips. 4.5/5
real ones know this isn’t black metal
I think their debut album was a bit better, but this is a great album nonetheless. Just a dozen or so quickfire Metal bangers filled with the occult, fast solo's and a vocalist grunting his way through. Hugely influential for a lot of metal genres. May sound like it was recorded in a bathroom, but so does all the cool stuff it influenced. It's a landmark album and it's still enjoyable to listen to today.
Did NOT expect this one! Pretty impressed that this list is covering everything. A little cheese in the recipe but I get why this one is influential.
Pretty good 4.2
I had a really harsh day at work today, and instead of relaxing in my couch, I'm in a moshpit with myself, giving punchs in the empty with my elbows. Thank you 1001albunsgenerator.
I had my fun, and that's all that matters
For most of my teenage years and early 20's, I considered myself a metalhead through and through and I've enjoyed a lot of more modern music heavily influenced by this very album. But somehow I never actually listened to Venom before. That said, it's not my preferred style anymore and this album sounds incredibly dated. It definitely has its qualities. Guitar-work and drumming are often pretty good. And if it feels like I've heard every one of these riffs before, it's probably because they were copied off this album. What most keeps me from enjoying this one are the horrible vocals though. They would work if they were cleaner, they would work if they were dirtier. Like this, well, every beginning can be improved on. These guys were also progenitors to some of the most ridiculous aspects of extreme metal styles. The whole glorification of death and satan worship is beyond stupid. It's not necessarily Venom's fault, as it comes across as tongue-in-cheek on this album (as it should be). But fact is that a lot of copycats took the whole shtick more serious than that and as a result, some aspects of metal culture are, frankly, really dumb, up to this day. In terms of personal enjoyment, this is a 3-star album. I'll give it a 4 for its direct influence on a lot of bands I've enjoyed much more (music-wise for the better, imagery-wise for the worse).
Delightfully heavy!
After listening to this album í feel that my soul now belongs to satan. Hail to our dark lord
Groupe et album connu. J'ai découvert cet album à sa sortie dans les années 80, mais je ne l'ai pas apprécié à l'époque : un peu trop bruyant et chaotique par rapport aux autres groupes de Metal que j'écoutais. J'y suis revenu quelques années après avoir découvert le thrash (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax) et le (vrai) Black Metal (Bathory). L'album m'a paru bien gentillet après ! Il a intégré ma collection, et je l'apprécie toujours maintenant, en particulier 'Buried Alive', 'Teacher's Pet', 'Sacrifice' et 'Countess Bathory' qui restent des classiques. C'est le seul album que j'ai gardé du groupe d'ailleurs ! Le son n'est pas très bon, et quelques morceaux sont plus faibles, ce qui lui fait manquer la note max. =>4/5
Ahh the very first black metal album. I really enjoyed it! Beter than expected
I love NWoBHM. Venom was a great band. It's interesting to listen now and think that Nirvana must have heard "Countess Bathory". Top album here. "Don't Burn the Witch" is a cracker. Proper headbanger.
This is one of those albums you enjoy purely at face value. The production is intentionally rough and low budget, which actually adds to its raw charm and underground appeal. It’s loud, messy, and unrefined, but that’s what gives it character. This album helped shape the sound and aesthetic of early extreme metal inspired acts like Bathory, Mayhem, Slayer, and Metallica.
For being one of the first heavy metal albums, it's not bad. The production is really bad and it is a little cringe, but for the time I can let that slide. This ended up sounding more like Motorhead than I thought it would. Low 4.
I have to respect it cuz it made everything I like. The album itself is just ok Will I listen to again: 94%
## Venom's *Black Metal*: The Unholy Blueprint of Extreme Metal Released on November 1, 1982, Venom's second album, *Black Metal*, is a seismic force in heavy music history. Though controversial and technically crude, its fusion of satanic imagery, raw aggression, and DIY ethos birthed entire subgenres. Here’s an in-depth dissection: --- ### **Lyrics & Themes: Provocation as Doctrine** - **Satanic Shock Tactics**: Tracks like "Sacrifice," "Heaven’s on Fire," and "Leave Me in Hell" weaponize blasphemy with lines like *"Satan records the first note"* . This was less philosophical than theatrical—Cronos aimed to out-evil contemporaries like Ozzy Osbourne . - **Horror & Mythology**: "Countess Bathory" (inspiring Quorthon’s band name) and "Buried Alive" merge gothic horror with metal’s theatricality, using nightmares and occult lore as narrative fuel . - **Juvenile Missteps**: "Teacher’s Pet" undermines the album’s menace with cringe-worthy voyeurism (*"Teacher caught me masturbating / Underneath the desk"*), clashing tonally with its darker peers . - **Genre-Defining Aesthetic**: The title track’s rallying cry—*"Lay down your soul to the gods rock ’n’ roll!"*—codified metal’s rebellious spirit, influencing black metal’s anti-religious stance . --- ### **Music & Sound: Primitive Fury** - **Speed Metal Foundation**: Tracks like "Black Metal" and "Raise the Dead" fuse Motörhead’s punk-driven pace with Sabbath’s heaviness, prioritizing frenetic energy over technicality. The guitar solos are chaotic, often described as "pointless stereo meandering" . - **Standout Moments**: "Countess Bathory"’s riff (reportedly inspired by children’s show *The Magic Roundabout*) is a proto-black metal classic, while "Don’t Burn the Witch" showcases infectious, fist-pumping grooves . - **Rhythmic Simplicity**: Abaddon’s drumming is rudimentary—critics compared it to "beating cardboard boxes"—yet its primal force galvanized thrash and death metal’s percussive brutality . --- ### **Production: Lo-Fi as a Weapon** - **Intentional Rawness**: Recorded in just 7 days at Impulse Studios, Cronos engineered a deliberately abrasive mix. Distorted bass, minimal overdubs, and effects like chainsaws grinding steel (*"Black Metal" intro*) or shoveling mud into microphones (*"Buried Alive"*) created a "gig in the cellar" aesthetic . - **Controversial Legacy**: While pivotal for black metal’s underground ethos (e.g., Darkthrone’s *Transilvanian Hunger*), the muddy guitars and inaudible bass divided critics. *Punknews.org* noted it lacked "subtlety," sounding "like an inept Motörhead" . --- ### **Influence: The Genesis of Extreme Metal** - **Genre Creation**: The album named black metal and inspired its Norwegian second wave (Mayhem, Burzum) through imagery and attitude, though musically it aligned closer to thrash . - **Thrash/Death Catalyst**: Metallica, Slayer, and Exodus cited Venom’s velocity and Satanic themes as foundational. Metallica even opened for them in 1983, with James Hetfield sporting a Venom shirt . - **DIY Ethos**: Venom’s rejection of polished production empowered underground scenes. As *Loudersound* noted, they proved "bad musicians [could] write good songs" . --- ### **Pros vs. Cons: A Balanced Verdict** | **Pros** | **Cons** | |-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | **✓ Genre-Defining Aesthetic**: Satanic imagery/pseudonyms (Cronos, Abbadon) became black metal staples . | **✗ Inconsistent Songwriting**: "Teacher’s Pet" and the spelling-chant "Sacrifice" undermine the album’s menace . | | **✓ Unmatched Energy**: Tracks like "Black Metal" and "Countess Bathory" remain timeless speed metal anthems . | **✗ Technical Limitations**: Sloppy solos and repetitive riffs ("House of Pain") highlight musical constraints . | | **✓ Production as Statement**: Raw sound pioneered extreme metal’s lo-fi ethos . | **✗ Dated Elements**: Juvenile lyrics and chaotic mixing may alienate modern listeners . | --- ### **Legacy: The Devil’s Bedrock** *Black Metal* is less a "perfect" album than a cultural detonator. It inspired: - **Bathory** (named after "Countess Bathory"), whose early work expanded Venom’s template into Scandinavian black metal . - **Metallica’s "Kill ’Em All"**, which borrowed its relentless speed . - Norwegian church burners and bedroom black metal artists who embraced its anti-establishment rage . As Cronos declared: *"We weren’t trying to be the next Iron Maiden... We are Venom"* . Mission accomplished. > **Final Score: 4/5** — Flawed yet indispensable, *Black Metal* remains metal’s most consequential paradox.
One of my favorite things about this project is finding albums like this, where you can hear the sonic influence it had on later albums or artists. The flow from Motörhead to Venom to trash and speed metal is very interesting and satisfying. Also, thinking about this album being unbelievably heavy when it came out but the black metal it would spawn just a few years later makes it look quaint. Nice riffs, good vocal delivery, some good lyrics and some not so good lyrics (Teacher’s Pet).
Oh god.. Een metal album. Kan meevalleen a la metallica. Iig kwa zang kan ik dit goed hebben. Het is geen grunch tot nu toe, en dat is prima. Eigenlijk best vermakelijk en energiek. Teacher's pet heeft een beetje blues vibe, daar ga ik wel lekker op zeg. Blues metal combinatie. Poah, best goed! Al met al, ik zou hier geen uur/uren naar luisteren, maar voor de lengte van dit album echt prima te doen en best van genoten. FAV: Teachers Pet
Сильно агрессивная музыка, чтобы проснуться было прикольно
Real good proto-speed/thrash album. I love all of the riffing, and there's some flamboyance and theatricality to the singing that kind of reminds me of old-school GWAR. Guitars on this record sound super gnarly, I imagine these guys were amazing to hear live. 4/5
I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would
Messy, thin, and absolutely legendary. It’s not the best-sounding record, but its influence is huge. I’ve been waiting for something like this in this challenge, so it probably hit even harder than it should. Still, I liked.
One of the first albums I've ever bought myself. I tell the story that I went in to downtown by myself at tender age of 12-13 and came home with Venom's Black Metal and Kiss' Hotter Than Hell, but I was probably few years older and I think it's a false memory. A precursor to thrash and black metal, an album's worth of NWOBHM with notable punks aesthetics, this is an assential album in my music collection as well as thousands of other young metal heads of the 80's. I still know the lyrics to "Buried Alive" by heart as soon as the song kicks in.
Glad to finally hear the album that sparked the black metal movement! It's like a more evil motorhead. Great stuff
Imagine yourself, a misunderstood teen, just settling into a midnight run of some Dungeons and Dragons in the early 80’s. Satan Panic at its height! Black Sabbath and Venom blasting out of the JBL’s. Let the nat 20’s roll!!! \m/ Metal will always be contentious, even amongst those that call themselves metal heads, myself included. So yea this album is not gunna be everyone’s cup of tea. Especially when you consider this album in the context of its early influence on death and black metal as newly developing genres at the time. All that said…yes it’s a bit campy. Metal still had lots of punk roots at this time and it wasn’t taking itself too seriously so that’s to be expected. Does it hold up…absolutely!!! It’s a fun romp into old school metal. It’s got some killer riffs and some legit hooks. Their influence on bands like Metallica, Megadeth, GWAR, and Slayer can’t be dismissed.
I can definitely understand why Venom is considered a major influence on all metal. Every song hits hard and is unique while maintaining a cohesive theme.
quite goofy but really fun
Interesting album today. These guys were responsible for starting the black metal sub genre in the 80's. It's more thrash/speed metal at the point of this record, but I can imagine at the time how revolutionary this album/sound was. I mean, I'm comparing it to the black metal we see nowadays and this is like super soft compared to that, but in the 80's, a British band singing about hell and Satan with dark "evil" lyrics would have been hard as fuck. Solid album! Favorite songs: Don't Burn the Witch, Bursting Out, Heaven's on Fire, Leave Me In Hell, Die Hard, Nightmare, Raise the Dead, Black Metal, Teacher's Pet Least favorite songs: Buried Alive 4/5
i forgot how goofy and corny this album is LOL
I enjoyed this album listen! Typically metal is not my thing but I was digging the heavy metal vibes of this one. It’s not something I normally gravitate towards but I would listen to it again and recommend it to others!
Most people initial takeaway is that it sounds likebitnwas recorded on a tape player in a bathroom but the importance of the album to the genre can't be understated. Great riffs, aggression and gnarly vocals.
I was looking forward to this: The low production value, the satanic worship, the shreddy guitars; all the hallmarks of what would become black metal are here, but, on this release, Venom has more in common with Motorhead and Metallica than the genre this album would inspire. If you can get past their cartoonish obsession with evil, there's some good music here. I come back to this album every so often, and it's a fun listen, but the music isn't so good that it demands a place in every metalhead's top 5. Highlights: "Buried Alive", "Countess Bathory", "Don't Burn the Witch" Questionable, but still good: "Teacher's Pet"
Thumping!
Outstanding album from a badm I had only read about and never really gave them a chance. Surprised and happy to have found this metal time period gem
What a ground breaking record for black metal
Not familar with the brand, but enjoyed this
Black Metal was fast and fun. Talented group who seemingly didn’t take themselves too seriously and that works really well here. Reminded me a lot of Motörhead but I really like Motörhead so I liked this too. 4 stars
I've determined there is a question I can ask that determines whether or not I'm likely to like a Metal band: Would they play D&D with me or make fun of me for playing D&D?
The album certainly lives up to its title. Seemed like a good intro album to anyone interested in black metal. Aggressive sound, demonic lyrics that were surprisingly understandable and still had an edge to the vocals, in a not overwhelming time span. (The reissue with a 2nd CD of 12" versions, got a little long and boring, but I don't think that's the version considered to be great).
I'm into it! 4/5
As a piece of history, I can't give this album less than 4 stars. No, I probably won't listen to it, again, and it doesn't sound much like what I like about "modern" Black Metal, but this was the beginning. The vision and confidence and audacity to take this step in 1982 is pretty amazing, and while someone would have done it, if it wasn't them, they should still be commended for it.
Some abhorrently aged lyrics, especially on Teacher's Pet, but a lot of speed metal goodness as well. Wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one but ended up liking it quite a bit.
kind of stupid but I liked it
Respect your elders!!! Venom laid the groundwork for every genre of extreme metal, and that cannot be overstated. Yes, the thrash is obvious in the everything about this record, especially the rhythm section, but the lyrics, vocal style, and soloing are all only a few degrees off from early death metal, while the guitar tone, production, and visuals all plant a seed for black metal. If you’re a fan of any of those genres, you’ll respect the hell out of Black Metal. But what’s shocking is how well it holds up. Now, from a technical perspective, Venom are a bit loose. The drumming, singing, and soloing could all use a wrench turn or two. I honestly think that if the performances here were a tiny bit tighter, it would be a lot more of a beloved classic, and not just a record every metal fan acknowledges without actively enjoying. And that’s sad, because I’d say 75% of this is still pretty good! I think the opener, “Buried Alive,” and “Countess Bathory” all stand out. Also, this is a really great backloaded record, and one of the few albums where I’d argue Side B is stronger than Side A. That said, besides the sloppy playing, I do think there’s a basicness to songs like “To Hell and Back” and especially “Teacher’s Pet” that brings it all down a smidge. “Teacher’s Pet” is especially weird; I can’t help but hear “Hot for Teacher,” just…worse. There are better metal records. There are better early era metal records. There are a million better extreme metal records: better death records, better thrash records, even better black metal records. But that doesn’t mean Black Metal is a bad record, just early to its innovations. And that historical impact has to count for something. Honestly, this record deserves more respect. If you like any extreme metal, you should give this a try. I’m not saying it’s the Paranoid of extreme metal, but it’s still very, very good and equally as important. For once, I’m grateful that this list made me listen to a record, and I think it made the right choice.
good metal record
Black metal could sound cliche today, but if you put it in context (1982) it is a solid and quite influential piece. I think it is safe to say that there’s no Metallica without Venom - and what it entails. Great and fun album.
I love metal. But the further back in time I go, the less I like it. There's a certain rhythm that metal gained that just isn't there in the early years. This is punishing in a great way. It's a little cheesy and the tracks sound the same. But it's influence is clear.
Played hide and seek with teachers mouth Her lips were warm and wet
Jeg troede, jeg ville have det som Daniels mor, men blev positivt overrasket.
Teacher wet
Venom's "Black Metal" is a classic. It's raw, aggressive, and super influential, even though it doesn't sound like what we think of as black metal today. Think chaotic riffs and Cronos's insane vocals. It's a bit rough around the edges, but that's part of the charm. A must-listen for any metalhead.
The new wave of British heavy metal was teeming with unstoppable momentum and Venom seemed poised to stand out amongst the crowd. Black Metal sounds every bit as apt in title, sound and feel; it may appear amateurish but there is something rambunctious and glorious about the overall result. It may be sprawling at times but that's how it's meant to be. Favorites: Black Metal, Buried Alive, Raise the Dead, Teacher Pet, Leave Me in Hell, Sacrifice, Countess Bathory, Don't Burn the Witch, Die Hard (12").
Lay down your soul to the god rock n roll
Buried aluve
Surprisingly good. A better recording would have helped but this is solid 3.8
Highlights: To Hell and Back Buried Alive Heaven's on Fire At War With Satan This is some real OG metal shit right here. A little bit Sabbath, a little bit Iron Maiden, a lot edgy. I like this early era of metal where you can see the direction it is leading, but it's not all the way yet. The guitars are heavy, but not completely washed out; the vocals are aggressive, but legible. Calling this extreme now seems almost quaint, but at the time this really was shocking to the mainstream. Even now I can imagine a talking head on the news reading these lyrics out with deadly seriousness to try and scare grandpa about the rebellious youths. But taken in whole, Venom is clearly being performative, Black Metal reads more like melodrama theater than Satanist instruction manual. If you can allow yourself the freedom to not take it too seriously, this album is a lot of fun and I regret not listening until now.
A great speed / thrash metal record - maybe a little weak on the production side (although it’s awesome its self recorded) and maybe it could have done away with the Teacher’s pet song - which throws off the macabre theme of the album.
Classic metal from a classic British band. I got in to metal in the mid 90's so this was always a bit old school for me but listening to it now it has that early thrash vibe. Stand out tracks: - Black metal - Buried alive - Raise the dead - Leave me in hell - Heavan's on fire - Countess Bathory
Awesome heavy metal. Every song had my foot tapping. The lead singer's vocals fit wonderfully with the style. The lyrics are a bit cheesy, but a proper album of the genre.
Very very good hard rock/metal. A little heavy on the hell/devil stuff. No single banger, but a very good album
"Lay down your soul to the god's rock 'n' roooooolll! unghhh.... unghhh...." *gasps* "Whooaooaoaauuuuaa BLACK METULLLL" This actually grew on me as it went on; the unintentional silliness broke into intentional silliness. Is this music I'd play around the house or while driving? Not really. Would I be pretty excited if I walked into a bar and Venom was playing? Hell yeah. addendum: this music reminded me of a passed-around supercut of *just* stage banter from a metal show; the singer ends every song by roaring "allright!" and talking about how hot it is. I was like "this music sounds like that banter." Well one internet search later it turns out that's Cronos from Venom. Here's a full extra star for that.
Had never heard of Venom before this but was absolutely in love within the first few minutes! Fantastic album if you’re into thrash metal. Hearing it in its early stages was awesome!
I thought this might be one that was more important than good, but I enjoyed this.
Metal good
The audio quality undermines the effort here, yet the music is on par or better than what we get out of modern metal.
This may sound quite hilarious by today's standards, but for when it came out this was way ahead of the curve. This spawned thrash metal, death metal and black metal. It's just an amazingly influential album.
That's pretty metal.
I'm always in the mood for a good old metal album and Black Metal helped satiate my thirst for one. The guitar riffs are those heavy, crunchy sounds that i really like. I also think the kinda muffled sounding audio works really well for an album like this and just makes it that much more heavy. I also really like the cool introductions that Buried Alive, Teacher's Pet, and i guess At War With Satan (if that track even counts as being on this album) they really add a lot of character to the songs. This is a great album that any heavy metal fan can enjoy. Best Song: Sacrifice Worst Song: Black Metal
Foundational to much more meaner music that would come, but in 2024 it made a nice listen on a vacation day morning while drinking coffee and lazing around. That's the march of time, I suppose. The album sounded great.
It was really entertaining to happen to get this the day after Metallica's black album. The opening song did not fill me with a lot of hope, but I wound up enjoying it overall.
"first" but not best, still... to hell and back raise the dead leave me in hell countess bathory at war with satan
This one goes to 11. An absolute delight beginning to end. Like Satan's house band. Has that weird, garagey muffled-yet-echo-y sound of all the best underground music. Really great metal album. Thinking Van Halen probably secretly listened to this, especially Teacher's Pet. Which is a weirdly horny tune amidst all of threst of the hellscape. Good job!
It was, indeed, black metal (ish).
VITTU VENOOOOOOM!!! Tuntus tosi oudolta antaa tälle viisi pistettä kun onhan tää nyt siis ihan hirveen kuulosta kolinaa ja muminaa, mutta onhan tässä se fiilis! Kyllä mä ymmärrän sen että tää yks levy on toiminut innoittajana koko bläkyn genrelle. 4/5
Mon genre de métal, son canette, lyrics sataniques un peu cringe. Parfait.
Fuck yeah! The album that spawned so many -metal bands. Fundamental listening for fans of death metal, thrash, NWOBHM, crust-punk, and obviously black metal. It does suffer a bit from muddy production unfortunately.
Listened to this one before. The production and sound engineering is dreadful and spawned the black metal style I loathe (looking at you Transylvanian Hunger by Darkthrone). The songs are good though if you can look past the sound quality and spawned a genre that got some great bands. Black Metal by Venom is alright I get why it's on the 1001 album list.
A great early punk thrash crossover
Well, this is definitely a lot different than the black metal genre, mainly because these guys seem to be having fun, while black metal dudes are so goddamned serious all the time. This has much more of a Judas Priest sound, with a little bit more edge to it. It's cool, obviously a hugely influential early metal album 4/5
Wow wasn't expecting this at all. I love this record; it's one of my favorite metal albums of all time. I think one of my oldest "band shirts" is a shirt for this album. It's ragged as hell. The pedant in me wants to say technically the sound is more "blackened thrash" than straightforward black metal but Venom will always be known as an early black metal band and they deserve to be called whatever they want. They are true pioneers! Cronos (the singer) was always the highlight for me. He is so enthusiastic about heavy metal and his performances are always top notch. The lyrics are also always hysterical and corny in a good way. Despite a lot of people knowing me as a metal head, I've come to terms that I dislike most metal. I don't know if it's because it was a genre that I was so enmeshed with while growing up, but it's hard for me to not be an elitist about. I tend to judge a lot of metal by how catchy it is, and how lasting / memorable it is. If I listen to a track a few times and then a year later I can still recall the song, it's usually a good song. This album and first song I haven't heard in maybe over a decade and while listening to it during a walk outside I found myself singing every single lyric. That's pretty amazing! I understand that not everyone is going to rate this high, but I think it's true in my heart that this is a 4.
This album means a lot more to us kids who grew up in the 80's, this was was some heavy and deep stuff, and that album cover, still legendary. Sure the production is pretty bad, little repetitive and some dumb lyrics but it still has some great music. While there are better metal albums not many had the influence that this had, Slayers first 2 albums especially.
Not as heavy metal as I expected
Ganske bra ligger på vipper mellom 3 og 4
I used to be in a band with a guy that was quite into black metal as a genre (hi Mike). It never really appealed to me, but I did learn about some things via osmosis, such as the wild story of Varg Vikernes. I think he was a YouTuber at one point, which is absolutely crazy to me. Anyway, I believe that today’s album was the genesis (lol) of black metal. Songs I already knew: none Favourites: Teacher’s Pet, Buried Alive I was expecting something a lot more noisy and growly than this. I’ve heard bands like Burzum, 1349 and others who I think are considered black metal, but this one by Venom is much more listenable. I’d say it lies, at least to my ears, somewhere between speed metal and hardcore punk. Definitely not what I expected. I surprised myself by how I genuinely really enjoyed this. I was expecting a grim listen today, but I’ll take this as a win.
Believe it or not this is not the first black metal album (because it's technicially not black metal), but to deny it's influence on black metal would be foolish. Right out of the gate, Venom introduces unrelenting guitar riffs, blasting drums, and a raw production style that provides the blueprints for true black metal. kvlt. The truth is that they're like a more evil Iron Maiden. And I like Iron Maiden, so I also like Venom.
Banger metal album! It’s clear from where Metallica got influence for their debut album.
I dig it, funnily enough.
Pretty influential not bad
Brani Preferiti: - "Black Metal" - "Countess Bathory" - "Don't Burn The Witch" Note: Come per molti casi in questo genere musicale le canzoni di questo album non presentano testo complessi, ma se ascolti il genere non sei qui per questo. È la musica cruda e bruta che cattura e trasmette l'essenza di questo genere. È una musica che rompe le regole, proprio come il black metal dovrebbe fare. Questo disco è un classico del genere, un album che ha forgiato le basi del black metal estremo.
Impressive for '82. Certainly ahead of the game in many ways. So many subgenres emanated from here. I actually think the lo-fi recording quality gives it a nice textured atmosphere, and separates it from most other 80s metal recordings, which tended to be much too clean and polished. This is right between a 3 and a 4 for me, but I'll round it up to 4 because it's such a pivotal piece of metal history and I'm glad I'm now familiar it.
One of my spouse's criteria for evaluating an album is being able to understand the lyrics. I definitely appreciated this clearly enunciated metal. It also rocked hard and fit the Halloween mood today with so many songs about death, hell, and burials, just perfectly. Is there a heavy metal song with a better title than "Countess Bathory?" "Her skin doth crack and peel!"
No lo acabé de escuchar, a ver si mañana.
Perfect record for Halloween.
Utterly ludicrous and absurd, I loved it.
Loved the mood and instrumentals, lyrics were meh
The singer sounds like he’s on the verge of laughing at the silliness of it all. Pirate aaarghs!, amateur dramatic society Olden Times accents, a chorus of ‘Get your tits out for the lads!’. It’s such a daft album, lots of fun.
Je suis pas fan de Black Metal (le genre) et je ne connaissais pas Venom, mais come on, comment on peut donner 2 à cela et aussi Eno... Voyons donc. C'est clairement un album de metal, si on connait pas le style on peut juger par rapport à nos goûts mais bon... 1982... Il faut avoir écouté ca dans ca vie cest certain personne faisait ca avant et ca tient la route encore aujourd'hui.
I listened to this a couple of years ago and it left me completely cold, but listening again in the context of this project, and reading up a bit on it, I have a much more favorable reaction. I was never much into plain black metal, but I like some of its offshoots, like blackgaze and atmospheric/post black metal. And, to be fair, this was a big influence on thrash, too, and thrash was one of my first loves... "Teacher's Pet" is pretty cringe, but an age of consent violating party tune seems to have been mandatory at this point in history. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Fave tracks - "Black Metal" is a fun declaration of intent, and "Heaven's On Fire" and "Don't Burn the Witch" felt the most thrashy! 🤘😈🤘
Day 108 Who likes some compressor effect? Venom does! Black Metal by Venom has nothing to do with the black metal scene, although it might be an inspiration. This is all tongue-in-cheek rock and roll, more related to Motörhead (although definitely lo-fi) than say Burzum. It's cartoonish, and I like cartoonish.
A popular thought on Venom is that they weren't technically proficient enough to make a mark melodically, so they went for speed. Long considered the progenitors of Speed, Thrash, and Black metal styles. This may seem a little dated these days, but man, were they really poking the pearl clutchers.
It's actually pretty decent. Didn't think i would like it, but i caught myself multiple times tapping my foot, to some songs. The tracks got a lot of energy in them. The quality of the mix is definitely not the clearest, but i actually think it fits the mood the album was going for.
Ce groupe m’a régalée comme de classiques histoires de peur. J’aime comment ils ont exploité à 100% les thèmes « horrifiques et maléfiques » pour planter les bases du genre
I appreciate the influence but it’s far from my favourite metal album
This hit the absolute sweet spot of metal for me. Harsh and gutteral without being unlistenable. Somewhere halfway between like Black Sabbath (love it but that’s just rock and roll) and Korn (no thanks!) I also love how on the joke of their own act they were. Metal is supposed to be over the top and goofy with the satanic witch shit. Not up its own ass. Really enjoyed it!
The birth of a genre. The image, the attitude and the sound have long since become outdated, so it may be difficult to understand today the mixture of respect, mystery and fear that a 13 or 14-year-old teenager experienced in the early 80s while browsing through the record store to find this record, or listen to its songs. A real milestone from the early years of metal
Honestly shocked this was so low globally. The only downside of it is the production dampens everything too much in my opinion, but otherwise, good album.
I don't think I ever listened to Venom, didn't think they'd be so silly! 3.666 / 5
Buen disco, claramente la influencia a mil discos venideros. Malísima producción musical pero tampoco es relevante
Genre defining
Nice album in his genre. Need a better listen, so this rating is just for now. But its a crucial album in the history of Metal.
This is my kind of metal. Dark, heavy, loud, fast & with a healthy amount of Satan worship. Fucking classic. Reminds me a bit of Motorhead. After another listen, I'm sure I'll bump this up to 5 stars.
ok
Reminds me a lot of early Metallica. Lots about gothic themes and Satan. Pretty good if you’re in the right mood
The root of modern metal and it shows. Lots of the tropes found in metal can be found right here.
Like early unpolished Metallica.
Stepping stone for thrash metal
Don't listen to anyone who doesn't consider this black metal. Anyways this album is amazing. Consistent as all hell, quite an impactful and influential album.
Heavy, Loud, Noisy, Distorted, Metal, Fast, Raw
This is fantastic, like witnessing the birth of black metal/death metal. There's a ton of tongue in cheek fun stuff going on. Countess Bathory is the best song on the album by a mile.
You can hear the origins of where punk and rock merged to form the early sub-genres of metal music. Whilst lyrically this album explores the classic metal tropes of satanism and 'dark' things, musically I would consider this as early thrash with massive punk influences.
This was a fun listen. A metal band who doesn't take themselves seriously, and they are very upfront about that. Super thrashy, and super early to the game (shocked this is a 1982 release). High octane metal straight to your veins. Hail Satan. Fave tracks: Black Metal, Raise the Dead, Don't Burn the Witch
Débile, bourrin, mais fun Prefs: Black Metal, Buried Alive, Raise the Dead, Leave Me in Hell, Heaven's on Fire, Countess Bathory, Don't Burn the Witch Moins pref: Teacher's Pet
This is very much not my thing. This overt satanism was the stuff of nightmares in the fundamentalist church I grew up in in the 90s. Of course the satanism is an aesthetic choice and one that works well for them. This album is akin to hearing thrash metal being born in all of its galloping glory out of the British metal new wave. Apparently the genre black metal was named after this album. I enjoyed this a lot more than I was expecting and honestly, the satanism still feels dangerous to my ex fundamentalist mind. It’s exciting.
Enjoyed this. Starts a bit slow but picks up. Great choons, vocals less so good. Can hear their influence in modern metal
Brilliant. Loved this. Without looking it up, I'll assume they were massively influential on Metallica. Easy 4 stars
Listened Before? N Well, I got an education this morning! This record, and band, are a major part of the sound of the early 80s NWOBHM that influenced the big thrash artists in the US. Pros: This record sounds like primitive Motorhead! The lyrics are brutally unapologetic. The thrash sound is awesome! Cons: They kind of sound like edgy teens at times, but hey, it was the 80s and people weren't nearly as jaded then. The album sounds like it was recorded in someone's garage! Also, what's with the weird fade-in on track 1? Added to Library? Y Songs added to Playlist: To Hell and Back, Raise the Dead
Rating: 7/10
Very enjoyable. The lyrics were delightful: black, simple iconography of heavy metal stuff. You could hear what he was on about My favourite but if the Wikipedia page was that Countess Bathory was inspired by The Magic Roundabout theme music, and that Smells Like Teen Spirit was inspired by Countess Bathory. So now every time I hear that Nirvana song, I'll start humming The Magic Roundabout music. Lovely!
reminds me of early metallica. don't like the lyrics much, but sound is okay.
Tongue firmly in cheek, but the music is dead solid
I think this an example of influenced better than influencer. With that being said this album is still pretty fire.
Um álbum tenebroso, com algum peso e relativamente calmo. Não é mau. Nota: 7/10
pretty sick imo
Meh - ok but not something I would likely choose to listen to.
great, always nice to listen to some old metal
Great metal!
The album that started an entire genre. First listen, and actually quite liked it. Countess Bathory was great.
Foundational metal album. Production sounds like a lot of others from that era but the music is pretty good if you can get past all of the lyrics. These guys sure do like to sing about Satan though. Album is totally fine.
A lot of fun! British metal kinda fell off in the 21st century huh
So things that I learned from this album - The abbreviation NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) - That these guys lied the ground work for heavier, darker, noisier metal music - That this isn't actually Black Metal, but heavy metal in stead So knowing all of this, it has been an interesting ride, putting it next to an Iron Maiden and Van Halen and Rush from a similar time, this one falls in the middle for me. I listened to it on quite nice headphones, so I could tell that the production wasn't fantastic, but as a former metalhead from the noughties, this hit home.
5/10
A good metal album, for me I don't think it has something special to listen to it again
I'm not sure how I feel about this one before starting it. I like metal but it isn't something I listen to often. I've heard of Venom but haven not really ever listened to them. A low cumulative rating on this site doesn't necessarily mean I'm not going to like something, maybe this will be one of the exceptions? Ok so a minute in and I think this would be great if the vocals were better. It's going to be hard to make it through an hour of this voice. Halfway through and yeah the voice is a little off-putting for sure. The music is a bit repetitive, though well played. Production is awful. The lyrics are dumb bordering on asinine. All together though it kind of works and you can definitely see how much of an influence this album had on metal going forward. I don't know that I'd say I liked this album, but I didn't dislike it. A lot of the music was really great. I feel like if they had a better vocalist and better production, this would have been a great album. As it is, I'll give it 3/5.
A little too goofy and over the top for me. I can see the crumbs of influence of so many better bands from the years since this was released, but I’m not hearing anything worth listening to regularly here.
given all the negative reviews i read on here, i expected to hate this. i didn't hate this. the singer isn't great, and the lyrics seem like they may have inspired the creators of Spinal Tap, but I don't know, I thought it was kind of fun.
A solid listen, and an enjoyable relic of metal. The genre has come a long way and it may be influential, but I think there has been 5 or more better albums this year alone.
The Good: We get to bang our heads! The Bad: Got a haircut the other day, buzzcut not good for banging one’s head… The Ugly: Venom… I mean… You know… Poison… Metal is not my thing. I can handle a little here, and a little there… but these cats… wait, these bats, well, they are not my cup of Poison! Every Rose has it’s Thorns… am I right? Also, I am starting to get rating fatigue syndrome, and find myself with nothing to say about albums I don’t really care that much about. Will give the band 3* for effort
I have a tough time with the sound quality on this one. It's clearly so damn influential though. Will revisit.
I have a play list called "Overly Dramatic Music" I'm resisting adding this ENTIRE album. Musically it's decent metal. You can tell its age based on it but still decent. The drum and guitar work are really good. The lyrics and singing.... I was in the car stopped at a light and went dude you need to bring this down to like an 8. I'm not mad he's going for it, but man, it's a lot during some of the songs. The lyrics are really basic too, like a kid trying to upset their parents and neighbor's. Combine that with the swinging for the fences singing and it's a bit cringe worthy. Not a bad listen. I'm not upset it's on the list but having never heard them before I want to know who heard them and started a band. I know there are a few out there.
I was expecting not to like this at all but pleasantly surprised how much I did actually enjoy it.
Never heard of them before but they are clearly influential to the likes of Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Motörhead. A valiant effort but those who followed did it better.
the good news is that i can tell what most of the lyrics are. the bad news is that a) most of them are pretty cheesy and b) the vocalist isn't, uh, particularly impressive. instrumentals are pretty decent at least.
Like all metal, silly. Like the best, it's pretty fun. Lay down your soul to the gods rock and roll! All that needs to be said. Production still figuring out how to be heavy.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Incredibly iconic album. It's title and overall visual aesthetic spawned a whole, very controversial, genre. But not the music, however. This is definitely not Black Metal, but rather a humorous and fun take on 80's Speed Metal. Let's face it, it is meant to be funny. Just listen to "Teacher's Pet" and you get the idea. I liked it. And I'm very surprised such a carefree album influenced a genre known for how harsh and serious it is. There's no actual Black Metal on this list, which is a shame, but I encourage people to try some of the classics from the 90's, particularly those from Scandinavia. Bands like Darkthrone, Mayhem, Emperor, or Ulver are all good examples. Key tracks: Black Metal To Hell and Back Teacher's Pet
Not my genre but cool I guess
I enjoyed it and wouldn't say no to another listen but it didn’t have much variety it was a little monotonous.
I really enjoyed this album. I have heard of Venom before but had never listened. Really great metal in between a Black Sabbath tempo and the faster Maiden stuff.
Well, there's no guessing as to what this album is. I mean, the genre name is on the tin. I know very little about the metal subgenres, though I'm pretty sure black metal is quicker, more intense and more centered around occultic themes than your standard metal album. Ol' Satan on this album cover appears to be giving credence to my prediction. Anyways, here goes. Yeah. It's metal, awight. I'm not sure how to feel about this album, truth be told. It's another one of those releases where the first half failed to hook me, but I came to like the second half once I settled into the general style of the album. Now that I'm playing it back on shuffle as I write this review, there's a few things for me to appreciate. For one, the album features plenty of competent and tight guitar riffs. It also surprisingly benefits from the lo-fi sound. Normally, I hate lo-fi guitars (especially when they're on the more blown-out end of the spectrum), though this album toes the line quite well. The riffs are distinctive, purposeful and have a satisfying level of depth to them in both the audio fidelity and variety department. The percussion is also commendable, egging the crazy guitars along and underscoring their punchiness. The vocals aren't much to write home about, though they are enjoyable and do get the job done. I'm pretty far flung from being a metal fan, so I like to think it carries extra weight when I say this album was decent. Overall, I enjoyed this. Book time. This album coined the term black metal, whereas the origin of the genre can be traced to the Norwegian bands Mayhem and Emperor. The black metal genre came to international prominence in the 90s when a few black metal artists were arrested for murder and church burning. The style of this album was inspired by the charisma of Kiss and the lo-fi sound of punk. Venom lack the musical prowess of bands like Iron Maiden, but make up for it with imagination and humour. Part of the packaging for this album parodies anti-piracy disclaimers with the message that "Home taping is killing music ...So are Venom." That's amusing. Wikipedia says this album was an influential release in speed metal, thrash metal, death metal and black metal. Quite a lot of metals. While this album coined the "black metal" moniker, it's considered by revisionists to be a early form of extreme metal. Funnily enough, this album came full circle when its lyrics and general style influenced the trajectory of Norwegian black metal in the early 90s. The album was also well-received by critics and has received enduring acclaim in the years following release. It doesn't appear to have charted, however. Yeah, wow. I didn't think the album would have this much going for it, though it's evidently one of the most influential metal albums ever. Of course, it's a no-brainer as to whether I let this one through. I cosign this inclusion.
This isn't exactly a work of art, but it's good fun
Back and forth between noisy/annoying and good
Ehhhh. Its some old school metal. Im glad it isnt what I know to be black metal, that atmospheric Scandinavian crap. Not into that. But this is fine. A bit too old-school for me but fine enough. Got some pep in its step and some cool guitars and drums. Not bad just not anything im looking to spin again. I like to see metal here on occasion just hoping the next one i get is a bit more interesting.
I have to appreciate anyone that has the balls to say that they're the only Black Metal band in existence. Imagine looking at a band like Bathory or Mayhem and being like "you guys make that poser Death Metal stuff, my song about jerking it in front of my teacher is the real trve kvlt material." I can't appreciate the music as much. There's much better Metal on this list, although I can't really say that there's better Black Metal on the list since it's the only Black Metal album on the list. The title track is great and there are some good songs sprinkled about, but I'd rather be listening to another Slayer album instead.
Not as heavy as I anticipated. Wasn’t bad either tbf.
Det fanger mig aldrig helt. Det er ikke dårligt, men jeg mangler noget. Måske nogle tempostift. Jeg skulle lige høre noget tidligt Metallica til sammenligning inden jeg kunne vurdere Venom. Og jeg må konstatere at Metallica er milevidt bedre.
Musically speaking, this is incredibly sloppy, under produced speed metal that completely lacks structural complexity or technical finesse. However, from a historical metal perspective, its raw, unhinged energy and foundational role in birthing extreme metal subgenres earn it permanent respect.
3.5 / 5 Best Song: Buried Alive Worst Song: Heaven's On Fire Weirdest Song: Buried Alive Honorable Mention: Countess Bathory ANGERYYYYYYY! No room for God here, not on this album! Satan rulezzz!!
Solid, pretty hard hitting, nothing too mind-blowing
Goofy as hell but it's really not that bad.
aight
Actually a lot better than I expected
Good thrash metal album just the singers vocal range was not impressive and the lyrics left a little lacking
Early metal album. Paving the way for bands like Metallica, megadeath and slayer. But it’s a bit too screamy and all over the place for me.
Klassisk hård rock med råbe-vokal.
Definitely more into Iron Maiden but this was ok.
I'm usually not a big fan of Speed Metal / NWOBHM, but in this case I found the gritty and dirty guitar distortion in combination with dark lyrics and growling vocals to be quite menacing and heavy, specially in the first three tracks, "Countess Bathory" and "Don't Burn the Witch". Among these song I've mentioned, I think "Black Metal" is the best one. It sets the tone of the album incredibly well and it has a really nice obscure tone to it, probably the darkest one too. The rest it is decent. The songs that I haven't mention feel way safer and aren't as menacing as the others, centering around on more conventional NWOBHM riffs, even though they keep the growls and lyricism about the devil, worshiping Satan, gore and other shocking themes. With all this being said, like many people, I have a big problem with this album, and it is the song "Teacher's Pet". Not only is this thing totally out of place, but the lyrics are also incredibly gross, which is funny to say when other songs have mentions to violations and gruesome deaths. It is basically a sexual fantasy about the singer and his teacher, but the worst offender is the guy confessing to be masturbating in class. Yikes. Either way, I think the album is decent. Regardless of enjoying the macabre aspect, it didn't change my opinion in NWOBHM.
More partial to progressive metal over heavy or black but this wasn't bad to listen to. The lyrics made me laugh with how utterly straight forward they are in their satanic focus. I would recommend this to metal fans if they haven't heard it yet and could find a place and time I would listen again depending on circumstance.
This kind of stuff is not usually my jam. That said, I’d give the playing a 4. The vocals on the other hand are a good solid 2 (I know, not the point with this genre). Lyrical content mostly silly, another solid 2 (unfortunately I think this is somewhat the point of the genre). Glad to have heard it; probably don’t need to hear it again.
I'm assuming this band is responsible for the popularization of this genre. Because otherwise I don't see what's noteworthy about it.
Three stars because I appreciate what they did for the genre, but damn it was a lil repetitive
Excellent hard driving metal album. Technically amazing but overall nothing standout for me personally.
Some good metal
Fun lol
I really thought that I wasn't going to enjoy this, but it turned out to not be too bad at all; even some quite good songs to be found on it!
I’m bumping this one up one point, because I’m told it’s an influential album.