Reviews (page 3 of 7)
In 1982 I would dig this. Until I heard Ride The Lightning.
Black Metal by Venom is a raw, chaotic, and hugely influential record that helped shape the future of extreme metal, even if it doesn’t sound like what we now call “black metal.” Built on fast, aggressive riffs, punk-like energy, and deliberately rough production, the album feels less like a polished work and more like a violent, rebellious statement—tracks like “Black Metal” and “Countess Bathory” hit with primal intensity rather than technical finesse. even though, im not a huge fan of it but it really peak my interest.
i was cringing the entire way through teacher's pet not gonna lie. otherwise i can respect this
This one isn't exactly 'my thing' but I did enjoy the listen. A bit rough but overall a decent metal record.
A gloriously stupid good time. Sophomoric satanism and schoolboy sexuality, power metal riffs chugging brilliantly, wild 80s lead guitar shredding \m/ it will never not be funny to think about the Christian illiterates getting trolled by this moronic bullshit.
Bueno
Kann mit Metal nichts anfangen, aber hab schon schlimmeres aus der Ecke gehört.
Gute Gitarre, Gesang geht so, nichts besonderes
capisco rilevanza storica, però mixaggio pessimo
3/5
Not usually my thing but this was ok
Early metal cheesiness. It was hard to listen to at the start but it grew on me a bit the more I listened.
- Gets a lot of milage out of satanic imagery - Not as melodic as more famous metal bands - Liked 'Buried Alive' and 'Teacher's Pet'
Too heavy and 80’s
Not my genre but I really enjoyed it. I can understand why the album is on the list. If you enjoy any metal from the 80s and 90s you'll probably enjoy parts of this album
There is some cool stuff on here, but the recording is just so, so bad. I listened to some of their more modern stuff and it is much more enjoyable. That said...minus one star for Teacher's Pet. That song is gross and pure shit, right down to the twelve bar blues wank in the middle.
I don't know if they genuinely worship the devil, but I imagine this album made a lot of parents concerned.
Thoughts before listening: Black metal is one genre I just don't get. I know this is an early version of the sound which hopefully won't have the Cookie Monster vocals, but I can't say I'm excited to hear this. I really don't have any interest in dark, satanic lyrics, and judging by the album cover this will likely have songs I won't want to hear. Review: Yeah so I'd say that this is not quite as extreme in either sound or lyrics as I had feared. I'd put their sound about in the same vein as Motorhead or even something like Iron Maiden. It's a bit murky and dense, but there are plenty of guitar solos sprinkled throughout and most songs gallop along at almost a punk pace. The lyrics are growled a bit, similar to Lemmy, but you can actually understand what they're saying. This of course means that I can hear the lyrics which are certainly dark, but more in a Misfits tongue in cheek/horror movie way. I still found myself skipping songs with lots of Satan references, but that wasn't the entire album. All in all this is a fine example of early metal that is nowhere near as extreme as the bands it influenced. Still though, I don't think I'll put any of these songs on the playlist. 3-stars
Meh lol
I saw this and my heart sank. I read the wiki and it went lower. I do not like much metal and certainly not this end of the spectrum. Maybe this is why i was pleasantly surprised when i actually listened to it. There was actually some melody and some intelligible lyrics. There was a recognisable structure and when the original album finished and the extended edition kicked in, i didnt immediately switch it off. Not my music, but as a way point in the development of a genre it is more then appropriate for this list.
not good
Not bad! I was surprised at this, there was some things in here I enjoyed but a lot of grunting like vocals. I'm really not a fan of the cookie-monster like growl of other metal but this didn't quite get to that level. Overall a pretty solid 3 for me
This album has its place on this list mostly because of its legacy--its importance as an influence and seed for the early thrash that came in its wake. Early Metallica and Slayer owe a lot to this album. But they're better musicians and they took this burgeoning thrash and made it work. Objectively, this is 2 stars. It gets an extra 1 star bump for being such a huge influence on the 80s thrash movement. 3 stars.
it really doesn't sound very extreme at all
Old school metal, I dig it. Very early example of what was to come, especially with the likes of Metallica in the mix around this time. Solid vocals and heavy guitars wailing to complement. This is a good one.
I don't like this album very much. Cronos SUCKS as a singer and though the playing itself is great, this was recorded on a microwave and a sandwich toaster. This is sonically one of the worst albums I've ever listened to. However, I have nothing but the utmost respect for this album. Its importance in the history and evolution of metal music can't be overstated. This is an incredibly groundbreaking record and its influence can be heard to this day through countless of metal subgenres. With incredibly energetic and fast riffs and dark lyrical themes. As an influental album, it would've been a 5/5, but this is a rating of the album by itself and it is a solid 3/5
not too bad i guess.... maybe relisten.
Usually, I’m not into extreme metal but this one is very approachable. The songs don’t all sound the same which is a relief. The album is clearly a great influence on all metal that came after.
"Black Metal" is, for me, a two-star album masquerading as a three-star album. It is a record that earns its place on "must-listen" lists almost entirely due to its seismic influence rather than its musical execution. Released in 1982 at the height of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), it is impossible to deny its historical weight. Without this album, the metal landscape as we know it would look entirely different. Most obviously, it literally coined the term for the "Black Metal" sub-genre. Furthermore, the "Big Four" of Thrash—Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth - all cite Venom as a primary influence on the development of their sound. Truth be told, this album was the point where I began to look for music outside the metal sphere. I simply didn't follow the path that this record started to forge. At the time of its release, I thought the production was awful and muddy; listening again decades later, nothing has changed my mind. While the music is "OK" in brief bursts, it is generally not to my taste. There are occasional hints of dynamics and melody, but they are often deployed in a somewhat cack-handed manner. For the most part, it is a "balls-to-the-wall" assault driven by the drumming of 'Abaddon' (Anthony Bray), which becomes increasingly tiresome as the runtime progresses as it lacks any flair or finesse. As for the vocals, while they are certainly distinctive, they were never going to give the likes of Halford, Dio, or Dickinson a run for their money. Despite my gripes, "Black Metal" possesses an undeniable, albeit grubby, charm. It remains a personal contradiction; if you can peer through the sonic grime, the riffs are actually quite compelling, and I found myself begrudgingly admiring several tracks in spite of the surrounding mess. Ultimately, I respect the album far more than I actually enjoy it; it earns its place on the list through its legacy, not its craftsmanship. Side A ("Black") 1 "Black Metal" (3/5) 2 "To Hell and Back" (3/5) 3 "Buried Alive" (3/5) 4 "Raise the Dead" (3/5) 5 "Teacher's Pet" (2/5) Side B ("Metal") 6 "Leave Me in Hell" (4/5) 7 "Sacrifice" (3/5) 8 "Heaven's on Fire" (3/5) 9 "Countess Bathory" (4/5) 10 "Don't Burn the Witch" (4/5) 11 "At War with Satan (Preview)" (3/5) Total - 35 Average - 3.18 251/1001 138/251 albums reviewed were new to me
It's okay
A very influential album for metal. Some lyrics were a bit cheesy but that's just the 80s lol.
Maybe slightly above a 3 for me, but not a 4. Definitely liked it more than Anthrax. Guitar riffs were great, I mostly liked the vocal style. Lyrics are sometimes quite silly. Sometimes the songs felt repetitive, and the mix felt a little flat, like the different instruments weren't standing out much.
Meh. Likes the instrumentation
Not afraid of Black Metal, even some I like. Sounds like 80s metal with more performative dark lyrics. Still though, very listenable. Like a badly produced Motorhead. 3 Heard before? No Owned: No 48/204 (23%) Will I get: No
i enjoyed the goblin man singing his song about getting molested
I can't believe they'd lie to me and try to convince me this is Black Metal. I mean, it IS Black Metal but it's not Black Metal... whatever... This is a rare instance of an album growing on me the further into the record I get. When Black Metal started, I was really struggling to get into it. Heavy metal in general has been a genre I've been iffy on, so add a very primitive and lo-fi recording that takes the smack out of pretty much everything and I was fully expecting to get nothing out of this. Cronos is also a vocalist that definitely takes some getting used to. By Sacrifice though, I would be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying myself. The album is so over the top in its satanic imagery, and the riffs are undeniably fun even if completely buried under the muddiest mix you've ever heard. Teacher's Pet is the only track that I'd claim is actively bad, the rest is honestly pretty fun once you get into the mood for it. I take their satanism about as seriously as I take Tenacious D's, but there's definitely that early metal cheesiness for those with a soft spot for that sort of thing.
Metal Misfits
Terrible recording aside, pretty good.
I’m shocked how much I’ve been enjoying the metal albums on this.
N’étant pas un fan de tout ce qui est métal, j’ai été surpris de pas haïr ça plus que ça. Le plus gros problème (et souvent le plus récurent dans le metal), c’est que rapidement tout semble sonner pareil, tu peux seulement être le plus violent, rapide et agressif sur une courte période, l’étirer sur un album revient à brûler la chadelle de tout bord tout côté, ça me fatigue et tout semble plus fade.
I would love to know what 1996 version of me would have rated this. 1996 me loved metal. 2026 me still enjoys it when it’s done really well, but has less patience for nonsense. I guess this is ok, and I appreciate that it was probably pretty cutting edge for its time. But it got pretty boring for me pretty quickly. I am glad that there is some representation for the genre here though, even if this one wasn’t one of my favorites. 3/5
Loved the music, lyrically not my thing.
I liked this more than expected. I can see how it was influential. Think Motorhead w Eddie van halen effects talking about satan lol
I liked the instrumentals throughout the album but the singer sounded like he belonged in a different band. Pretty whack for me in terms of metal that I like but still ok. Low 3
I've never heard this band. Maybe I've seen the name. The themes were a bit dark for me, almost comically so, but I thought the music was pretty good.
Raw and aggressive. As a metal head this is ok album but it didn't evoke bigger feelings. Hard to pick best song as they all were okeyish but I pick Don't Burn the Witch.
Beating my kids is awesome
Teacher's Pet is a song
Sounds like early Metallica
Wow, just wow. Early thrash/speed/death metal. I have not heard this before, I was more of a Judas Priest guy. I am not sure I would just put this on to listen to, but it is cool to hear the genesis of a whole genre.
Venom on tuttu bändi, mutten ole juurikaan heidän tuotantoa kuunnellut. Black Metal-albumi on oikeastaan aika jees, eikä sen parissa ehdi tylsistyä. Levy tarjoilee sarjakuvasatanismia sekä nopeasti rämisevää metallia, jonka vaikutus kuuluu Metallican ja Slayerin kaltaisissa thrash-bändeissä sekä tietysti myös varmaan kaikissa norjalaisissa black metal-yhtyeissä.
What?! Sometimes you just need to listen to black metal I fear. It crazy what influence they had on the metal genre, I mean they gave black metal their name and it’s crazy to see how the genre developed since then. Anyway I guess this is not for everyone.
I listened to this when I had a bit of a backlog of albums to listen to, because I had been putting off the other options. They were The Rolling Stones, The Specials, The Beach Boys and The Stooges, all making at least their third appearance on this list for me. I got into this project to hear new music and all I had was another uninspiring top ten dad rock hits. So this I enjoyed just as some fresh air, I was very grateful for the heavy sound. It's a bit rudimentary and the lyrics are more than a bit Spinal Tap (especially To Hell And Back), or like a (heavier and better) AC/DC such as Teacher's Pet but I am grateful for its inclusion on this list. The Satanic lyrics are a bit embarassing, especially as they were admittedly written only for shock value. If you want to hear some genuine practicing Satanists, check out the doo-wop Twin Temple, strongly recommended.
sympa je dois me pencher plus sur le metal
Idk of its just Spotify's version but the audio mixing sucked. Beyond that was a pretty interesting album for its time.
3,5
influential metal album that defined the early black metal scene. the album stood out at the time with its lo-fi sound and blatantly dark lyrics. while the subject matter perhaps came across as shocking in 1982, today it seems as if the band strung random menacing sounding words together in mad libs fashion, whether the sentences actually made sense or not. this isn’t to say that i didn’t enjoy the album, as i liked the way it sounded, but in 2026 the lyrics are clearly interpreted as being tongue planted firmly in cheek. an interesting listen, nonetheless if than for nothing more from an historical aspect.
Aight
Solid rock music. But the latter stuff sounded boring for me
Favorite Track: Black Metal
Very important, yes. Influenced many and etc I don't rate based on importance, but it's still a good album even by modern standards. Albeit a bit basic
I’ve never heard of Venom before, but oh boy, this album cover is saying a lot. I find that I can be pretty picky when it comes to metal music, so I’m not sure if this album is going to wind up being something that I’ll enjoy. Regardless, I’m sure this will be an interesting experience! Overall, I thought this album was pretty good, and I found it entertaining to listen to. For a thrash metal album, there was quite a bit of variation in the sound from song to song, but every song still fit the overall mood and sound of the album really well. One of my favorite things about thrash metal tends to be the drumming, and Black Metal had some blistering drumming on each song. I’m not really into lyrics as dark as this, but I appreciate that Venom used dark Satanic themes as part of their artistry, despite not being Satanists. As far as thrash metal goes, this album was really unique, and Venom’s musical style was really distinct. They can thrash, but they can also slow it down to craft a dark atmosphere, like on “Buried Alive” and “Raise The Dead.” Those two songs happened to be a couple of my favorite songs on the album, due to how unique they were. “Teacher’s Pet” was also really good, and I enjoyed the shock value of the sexual lyrics. I really didn’t see it coming that this song would be so sexually explicit, but it fit Venom’s style pretty well. That little schoolyard song guitar riff at the beginning was a nice touch as well. The guitar riff on “Heaven’s on Fire” was incredibly catchy, and the drumming was great too. “Countess Bathory” was probably my favorite song on the album. I really enjoyed the distorted guitar, and the story in the lyrics was great. My biggest complaint with this album is that these songs felt really long as I listened to them. I don’t know if the music was really repetitive, but each song felt really long to me for some reason, especially the first two songs on each side of the album, all of which I didn’t care for too much. On top of that, I don’t know what was going on with the production on the title track, but it sounded like the whole song was recorded underwater, and it drove me insane. Still, even with those flaws, this album was pretty enjoyable. I don’t think I’d fire this up again, but Black Metal is certainly a memorable experience.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👿👿🤘🤘🤘👿👿🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Hail Satan, I guess? If this were twenty mins shorter, its a four. Its campy as hell, but if you just embrace it and go with the thrash, there are rewards to be had.
I was looking forward to this. Sad to say I can't say I love it. I like black metal (the genre) and various extreme metal genres. As such I can appreciate how important this album is. But it seems more like a draft of what black metal could be. It's more like someone was trying to be Motorhead but said "make them more evil". In fact I can hear more thrash influence in the music and black metal in the production. And clearly lots to like (bar Teacher's Pet) and some great guitar playing. But almost too rough and punkish to love.
It's well-known how hugely influential this album is, probably one of the most influential albums ever. Would be incredible to go back and hear this when it came out. It's touched all things metal and metal-adjacent. You have to respect it. I'm not like super-into it on its own, but listening in the context of history and legacy is interesting.
I had higher hopes. The album was kind of just boring.
Not necessarily the words I want to be in my ears. The music is pretty fine, but the themes and lyrics aren't for me.
One of the origins of one of my favorite genres, this album gets points for historical importance. However, the production quality is rough, to be kind, and the music isn't as well developed as the bands that it inspired. Still, I don't hate it, and can appreciate it for what it is.
Surprised at how modern this sounds considering it was released over 40 years ago. I immediately was reminded of Metallica and megadeath and these guys must have been a huge influence on all forms of metal that came afterwards. Not a huge metal fan but can appreciate their contribution so for that I’ll round up to 3.
Takes a track to warm up but then settles in for some decent rock. Nothing special though.
Surprised the heck outta me. Thought I'd hate it.
Neat metal stuff
🐐
High pace and high energy heavy metal with macabre themes. Liked this more than anticipated.
This is some very basic. Presumably it's from the early days of metal. I guess being able to hear the individual instruments and lyrics is in some ways quite novel. Ultimately a 3, inoffensive.
nicht meine Musik, aber durchaus OK
The logo is a little too friendly for the vibe. Cool thrashy sound, ridiculous lyrics. Definitely an influence for a lot of metal bands that followed. Feels weird giving the Satan praising, dragon slaying dudes such a high rating, but horns up I guess.
Kind of liked it. Not the best metal album ever, but it was good for today. The more thrash/hardcore songs were better. 3/5 Might listen again
Raaaawk!! Criiiiiiinge!! Raaaaaaawk!!!
They helped popularizing a lot of metal subgenres, including black metal. This is not the best record ever but we have to acknowledge that it was extremely influential.
I kinda want to hate it, but it is probably one of the funniest album I've ever heard.
A very consistent metal album! It deserves a much higher score than it got, but those assholes behind this project only like hip hop and that kind of crap.
I see why it's influential. There's some solid ideas/performances. Songs aren't super memorable, but there's some good moments
Metal really isn't my genre, so I wasn't looking forward to this one. In the end though, it wasn't too bad. The higher tempo made it less boring than the Metallica albums that I've loathed. I wouldn't choose to listen to Venom again, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on.
I've never heard ANYTHING like it... So bad its kinda good. Bonus points for being metal.
I can hear how influential it was, but not really my thing
Venom’s ‘Black Metal’ is chaotic, cartoonish, and so over-the-top it sometimes undercuts its own menace. The band are clearly having a great time, but the album frequently jumps the shark into self-parody, its theatrical extremity threatening to eclipse the genuine innovation underneath. The result renders it somewhat ‘quaint’ by today’s standards, but it’s still a fun listen.
4.9/10
You can definitely understand the influence this album had on the genre. It's not really my style but was entertaining nonetheless.
Alright. Didn’t quite pay attention to the lyrics, but the instrumental bits almost blew me away.
I like this more than I thought I would. It was good front to back, just not exactly my style. 2.7 outta 5
Misleading album name, this is clearly thrash. Early thrash at that - this may be influential as a genre pioneer, but it was totally eclipsed barely a year after its release by Metallica’s ‘Kill ‘em all’ which totally leaves it in the dust. I can see the influence here, but it just doesn’t hold up as anything other than just ok.
Meh. Got a little too long for me.
They can jam.
This was fun. I didn't take it very seriously, and I think that helped. The whole intro to a song just for them to slowly fade out when they got into the song was hilarious.
Here’s how this album goes. Satan, death, occult stuff, weirdly horny teenage fantasy, murder, blood, satan. One of these things is not like the other, one of them doesn’t belong! Seriously, if you weren’t paying attention, Teacher’s Pet doesn’t make any sense. It’s also just a straight forward blues rock song so musically it also sticks out like a sore thumb. Anyways, this album definitely deserves to be on the list. It’s hella lofi sounding but you can tell how influential it was for metal in the 80s.
Never heard of these guys, but I definitely hear them in bands that were influenced by them.
It kinda reminded me of KISS, if KISS was a little heavier and wrote about satanic themes. Which they sort of do, in a tenuous way. I don't really like KISS that much, but I did like this well enough. It was fun in that dark way, it had some head-bang ability, and it was entertaining even if over the top. While I probably won't listen to this album on repeat any time soon, I wouldn't be upset to hear it again. Overall: 3/5
Best Song: Don't Burn the Witch. A really solid groove here. Worst Song: At War With Satan. Extremely corny to end with this goofy little LARP. Overall: It is easy to hear how this album planted the creative seeds that spawned a lot of my favourite artists. That said, it suffers somewhat from the success of its successors, as their speed, vigour, and intensity work backwards in time to make this seem slower, quieter, and paler retroactively.
Als ich Black Metal zum ersten Mal hörte, knallte „Countess Bathory“ wie ein Faustschlag – roh, wild, kompromisslos. Auch „Buried Alive“ und „Raise the Dead“ haben diesen düsteren Charme, der das Genre prägte. Aber ehrlich gesagt: Vieles klingt heute eher wie ein wütender Proberaum-Mitschnitt als ein durchdachtes Album. Ich respektiere, was Venom losgetreten hat – ohne sie gäbe es viele spätere Metal-Spielarten nicht. Aber musikalisch ist es mehr Kult als Genuss. Ein Stück Geschichte, das man gehört haben sollte, aber nicht unbedingt regelmäßig auflegt.
Har sikkert inspirert mange, men står seg dårlig med tiden.
-never really heard metal quite like this and it wasn’t particularly digestible at first. kinda got irked by the first song -took an interesting turn as i kept listening tho, i think the atmosphere was pretty good at least -Favorites: Raise The Dead, Countess Bathory
I wondered if Venom were on the PMRC's radar back in the day, and sure enough, they were among the original Filthy 15. But shockingly, not for "Teacher's Pet." I mean, this is tailor-made for a conservative freakout. Goat head and pentagram on the cover, numerous references to Satan, the occult, and virgin sacrifice, etc. Forty years later, it's all deeply silly, but the music still slays.
It's decent, wasn't great, felt the influence on others though for sure
gostei bastante mas sinto que eh influencia de system of a down
This was pretty good and I can see how it was influential to the overall theme of black metal, introducing the name and the style of playing plus the theme of the lyrics (which were very stereotypically satanist). It doesn’t hold up amazingly as it isn’t as powerful as more modern day metal although that’s obvious but has the energy and the nice riffs which define the genre. It is however, quite repetitive and feels like it overstays its welcome a bit given that the songs follow a very similar formula and all focus on satan being amazing and stuff, it’s a bit goofy as a result but still decent. Favourites: none really. Overall, may seem a bit low but also reflects my opinion on the genre: 5/10.
On paper this has nearly everything I detest about Metal. Time to throw the playbook in the bin, as this was pretty good in places , especially where they used chorus pedal with standard 'Gain up to 10' or should that be 11? Then you have the lyrics and all its 'Burn the Witch' sentiments. Its just a bit different from your average metal and there is my reason why its getting a three star.
First time for me. I don't mind some metal, and it was interesting to hear one of the pioneers. It has dated a little I think, doesn't quite have the power of some other metal bands.
I actually enjoyed this more than other metal offerings so far through the generator. The lyrics are all playfully over-the-top Satanist, like a parody. I don't think Venom wants you to take them too seriously. I'm sure Reaganism parents will agree, right? The guitar playing is impressive throughout, though I'm not a huge fan of the sound. It's very woofy and boomy, like the wrong microphone was used either for it or the bass. But I really need to take, like, a graduate-level course in metal music. I do not understand the distinctions between all the subgenres and the evolution of one to another or how to tell whether a band or album is "good" or not. I suppose I have not listened to enough yet to hear the differences. This album apparently began "black metal" most prominent in Norway, but is not really the same, and it's linked to extreme metal and thrash metal and speed metal, etc. etc. Overall, I enjoyed this, but the songs all just started to sound the same after a while, and I probably won't listen again.
Good
2.8 1x extended version 1h5m
Listening to early iterations of metal like this help me understand the genre’s appeal. I had a pretty good time with this even if I don’t plan on revisiting. The mix is weirdly subdued.
This is pretty decent and thrashy - vocals are just whatever but definitely can see this inspiring the genre. Also, why is the last track a preview? That was weird.
Sounded really good for metal. Especially for the ones on this list. Lyrics are interesting but everything pretty solid musically.
I was a little bit nervous when I pressed play on this one, but it wasn’t long before I was genuinely enjoying myself. It opens with the sound of a chainsaw ripping through some sheet metal and then gleefully continues with occult songs name checking just about every demon in the AD&D Monster Manual. It was when I got on to the track Buried Alive which has a comedy vicar performing a burial service as the sound of earth hitting a coffin lid fills your ears, that I realised that these guys were just having a laugh with an album so over the top that it seems designed to cause maximum offence to the moral majority types. It’s only on Teacher’s Pet where the sexism and the implied story of a schoolboy being seduced by their teacher, that it threatens to cross the line into being genuinely offensive, but we are soon back to cheery songs about vampires and witches and devils. With this album they pretty much invented the entire genre of Black Metal by accident, and unfortunately some later bands would take it all a bit more seriously. Satan-tastic!
De hecho, no esta nada de mal. Ademas, historicamente es bien importante, al menos para un genero del que suelo escuchar a sus exponentes más modernos.
Klingt in der Production sehr dull als wäre alles auf einem Channel die vocals poppen also nicht so off könnte sonst echt ganz cool sein texte fühlen sich aber bisschen repetitive an Bester Song: Don’t burn the Witch Rating 1,6/5 Production ist ass, so dass alles wie ein Einheitsbrei klingt und man keine Licks oder Instrumente präzise raushören kann, die Riffs geben early day Metallica vibes. Die Lyrics enthalten etwas zu oft das Wort “Satan”. Auch die vocals sind rythmisch oft langweilig und die Stimme ist nicht sehr energievoll 3,2/5
This album would benefit from a really good remaster. Overall decent, just wish it sounded better!
I did not hate this. It's not incomprehensible bullshit, it's just some British dudes being loud and dark but still kicking ass. I can see how this paved the way for other sub genres of metal. I also can't hate on an album that has a song about having sex with a slutty teacher in the middle of a record about death and darkness. This is alright (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
Je comprends pas le trip du black, death, etc. La thématique satanique pour moi devient un peu lourde après 2 tounes. Je comprends que c'était fait avec humour chez les gars de Venom. Ça sera pas 1 étoile pour ça. Aussi c'est assez 'tonne de brique' comme musique, un autre aspect que j'aime, comme chez Iron Maiden et Megadeth par exemple. Paraît qu'en live c'est encore meilleur. Juste pas mon style.
Pas mon style, mais pas dégueu non plus. Écouté une fois c’est assez. Black metal de nom seulement, j’ose dire.
Ok
Interesting, and actually enjoyed some, but not great focus music :)
Could never really get into Venom, despite this being the stuff I like often. For me, they're a bit like the Beatles. I appreciate what they've both done for music and how they've both been the inspiration for different bands and genres - as Venom essentially started black metal - but in terms of their music at face value I just am not a fan. In Venom's case, there were some riffs and a couple of solos I enjoyed, but very hit and miss. The vocals sucked balls too
Meh. I can see how it was probably influential, but I don't love the music it influenced, as a rule. The guitars sound sort of "muddy", which is probably more due to the era it was recorded. Lyrics are rather silly and juvenile. I didn't hate it, but I was glad when I finished the album. 2.5* rounding up.
Surprisingly listenable
Despite the name, this is more NWOBHM/Thrash, and a solid slice of it at that. Hugely influential album. Favorite track: Don't Burn the Witch
Heard some songs from it before. You gotta respect them for inspiring whole new subgenres of metal. And it's just a good album in general 3/5
Te zacht, beetje druilerige vocals. Mist beetje punch en chaos met momenten. All meh, no jfizidbaodhrirbberrr.
I love 80's punk and hard rock but for some reason the intersection of these two in thrash / black / extreme metal doesn't quite do it for me. That being said, there was more to this album than I expected and I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Some of the lyrics and themes are a bit ridiculous, but letting the waves of high-energy sound wash over you is kinda satisfying.
Didn’t know Vemom was speed metal, I can get behind this. Maybe not something I would revisit but I can appreciate the ode to the dark Lord.
fuckin loud and take no prisoners insane lyrics and pretty weird. take no prisoners. its a 3 for me right now since I gravitate to metal that has more hooks and is a little more transformative through the song structure. but this has room to grow.
It’s not for me. I see its influence, though, as there are lots of parts that sort of sound like the bridge between Motörhead and Metallica. I think it’s a little hokey with the satan worship shit, but I bet in 1982 this is the kind of thing that led to the Satanic Panic that meant my mom wouldn’t let me play soccer.
Not a metal head but this is indeed a nice one of this genre
decent
Not bad.
You have to be influential if people use your album name for a whole genre, right? This album sounds a little dated now - partially because it sounds like it was recorded in a highschool locker room, and partially because metal has evolved so much since 1982. Even looking past that, I think they blew it with the sound levels on this album. If you saw these guys live, I’m sure the vocals were usually buried under a lot of guitars/drums and you’d have no idea what they were shouting about. I’ve been to SO MANY shows like that, and honestly, that’s probably the right way to mix this kind of music. Nobody needs to hear the lyrics, just play loud noise and let me lose myself in it for a while.
Pretty funny. So over the top with the fake satanic imagery. It’s like a sixteen year old writing the most offensive things they can think of to displease their parents and then combined with some ok musicianship and a singer who growls and yells his way through it. I know it was important at the time because it was heavier than Sabbath or Priest but most of it sounds amateurish now. Slayer did it better but someone had to do it first so I will give them credit for that.
A year ago, I may have given this a lower score, but I think (and considering Ozzy's recent passing) I've really gravitated to the instrumental aspect of metal a lot more. Especially, when the vocals are at least mildly palatable.
These guys really love Satan huh? Favorite track: Teacher's Pet
Heavy, but ok
I've heard some black metal albums in the past and usually I enjoy them, their aggression and atmosphere are always something that makes me want to seek more in the genre, ironically though I never got to check the "proto-bm" stuff like Venom or Sodom or whoever despite how instrumental to the development of black metal during this time, and I mean... I guess I wasn't too interested in the more heavy metal side of this genre which originated the style but I mean it's still gonna be some level of interesting so why not try it? While this album is fun and the type of raw and intense heavy metal of the era, I also don't entirely love it since so many of the riffs and songs kind of run together which makes telling apart some songs from others, aside from the fact that I don't find the songs as memorable as either contemporaries or bands that came later, but it doesn't stop it from having the kind of dark and evil atmosphere that I enjoy so it's got that going for it! Not something for everyone but for me, I think it's good if flawed
Listens: 2 Standout tracks: Teacher's Pet, Sacrifice This is what I consider to be a proper descriptor of the genre that is "metal". I just listened to Ozzy Osbourne's Paranoid which is dubbed a heavy metal album, and although that album came out a decade earlier, I've just never considered the sound found on Paranoid to be anything other than classic rock - "Dad's garage" rock. This album is decidedly not that. This album has all of the hallmarks of metal: Screaming vocals, insane guitar shredding and thrashing, aggressive, wildly suggestive, satanic and subversive lyrics, and an epic album cover to boot. All that said, metal has never really been a genre that I've gotten into in any meaningful way. I can't relate to it. It doesn't call to me. But even then, I still like it more than the Beach Boys or Mariah Carey.
Geordie Satan Jamz.
I liked it, but I didn't love it. This album is a good one, it's interesting in many aspects, but lacks of more development, at least for my like. I really appreciate the influence it had on the metal genre (and specially some of its subgenres), and I'm glad that albums like this one are part of that musical journey. When I finished listening to it I wondered how fast the time passed. It has been such a pleasant listening.
I expected to hate this I didn’t It was quite fun in its own stupid way
Some good stuff on here but its clear that black metal still had to evolve a bit more to become what it is today (? Idk what im talking about here Translation: the album is mid)
Well I’ll give them this, the album definitely made me want to headbang. The music got the blood pumping but the lyrics were not my cup of tea and fairly basic. I also found his voice to be monotonous. In some songs, I found it boring but in others, I didn’t mind. Probably influenced more so by the music than the vocals. I actually think if I zoned out on the album and the lyrics didn’t catch my attention so much, I would have enjoyed it more.
Not bad for early death metal!
I honestly didn't hate this, maybe its because my last album was horrible (Now I Got Worry by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), but I kinda vibe with the heavy distorted guitar and drums. The lyrics and vocals are super corny and it almost feels like a parody of Metal, but it kept the energy up. This album isn't anything special, but I'm sure it was influential for its time. Standouts: Don't Burn the Witch Rating: 3/5
Classic metal album. I can hear how this group was influential to so many metal bands to come after. Very punkish with some of the riffs and beats, but definitely metal. Rock on. 3.36/5 stars = 3.
2.5/5
Fav: Raise The Dead Least Fav: At War With Satan (Introduction) A metal album, of which I’m listening to on a busy train, should be a sign of disaster but no I actually thought it was alright…just as long as you avoid the edgy teenager lyrics
Released during the Satanic Panic of the 80s, this album defined the genre of Black Metal. You can definitely see its influences in a lot of different artists. There were times when the vocals sounded exactly like Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and you can see the instrumental influences on a lot of bands like Pantera and Metallica. Good stuff, but like a lot of progenitors of genres, the basics don't seem as special as a lot of other works that have built upon it.
6/10 Highlights: Raise the Dead Countess Bathory
More grey than black. Perhaps as a template for future black metal, speed metal, and the various subgenres that people have created, this is important, but it comes across as pretty standard.
Maybe I just don’t like metal music. This is so cringey for most of it. I can really see why people love it though. If you can get over the lyrics and love galloping this is probably a 5. From a historical angle I was very excited for this album, being the album that defined the term black metal, but this really doesn’t live up to the European Black Metal that came after it for me. I was hoping that being a fan of Deafheaven would make this make sense but I think I realized I might need the mix with Shoegaze to enjoy it. This sounds like the album I would make if I was trying to make fun of Metallica, seek and destroy literally a year later clears this. But I like Mercyful Fate! But mainly because I go into it not taking it seriously? I don’t know, this is really confusing me. Raise the dead would go hard on a Tony hawk soundtrack that’s just a punk song. But then teachers pet is like the worst blues rock just soaked in feedback and reverb which is almost cool if the song wasn’t a terribly written I want to fuck my teacher song. I think I’m landing on this is bad because it’s serious in its presentation of something that should be not taken seriously at all, which is why tenacious d is being referenced so much in the other reviews. You can definitely be serious about it and be good, mayhem as an example, terrible scary people making terrifying music. This album jams, it’s fun, the lyrics are terrible, and this no doubt influenced so much good metal that I can’t be as hard on it as I am being above. 3 enjoyment, 4 historical.
I don't like this music for its musicality, but it can be entertaining to listen to. I know this is lame, but I was having a good time comparing King Giz songs to some of this. This album is hella cheesy, but I did find myself getting into at times. Definitely not something that I would put on on my own time, but I appreciated the listen although it went on too long for me. Eh 3
This is from the British band Venom. Apparently this is the album that started the death metal genre. The band did a good job with their lyrics, album cover, etc. Although I don’t like death metal, this one gets an extra star for its historical significance.
This was better than expected. It has a lot more in common with punk than I expected. I was hearing Misfits, Germs, things like that, as well as Motorhead, more than I was hearing Black Sabbath most of the time. I appreciate this but would probably reach for later bands that did this better most of the time. 3.49/5
Have heard this type of music since the 80’s. When I was trying to figure it all out. (Still haven’t). I out grew this music. They sound tight in heavy groove. Just not my bag anymore. I stopped at type O negative.
An album that influenced a lot of metal subgenres. Not something I’d often be in the mood for but can appreciate nonetheless. Some nice lead guitar work.
My very little experience with Venom is from my teenage years, when my metal head school mates were wild about this band, and they had Venom sleeve patches or even back patches in their denim vests. Now listening to this, it's obvious that this same enthusiasm were shared by loads of future trash metal kids around the world. Venom sounds very much like the speed/trash metal bands that came bit later. Probably will not listen to this album on repeat, but it definitely deserves to be on the list.
weirdly i did not hate this lol
Decent metal album. A little muddy and started to get old after a while, but still fun.
Seems like a good version of itself! Cool that it's from a time I don't associate with death metal.
Quite enjoyed it , but found it got a bit too samey. 3.5 stars
Listened to this album a while back, really import to metal in general, of course creating the name of black metal, the album is just fine though
This album is a bit of a landmark in that it really points the way for some branches of metal while really showing it's roots. I don't think there are any great songs here, and the production is largely unimpressive, but the energy and its place in history make it worthwhile.
it was all right, not a huge metal guy but i see the appeal.
I was initially underwhelmed but it warmed up on me as I went through the album. Not bad for early heavy metal and much more palatable than much of today's nu metal. 3/5
Not something I would very likely choose to listen to, but it's kind of fun in a way. Some nice guitarwork.
It's not really for me. It's not bad, but it's very murky, and it's kind of silly. 2.5 rounded up.
good fun! Leave Me in Hell reminded me of Master of Puppets so much, uncanny
Decent metal album, but the audio quality was terrible. 3.5/5
Not for me. Reading up on the album, it's hard to deny its influence on other artists, but I'm simply not the target audience.
I didn’t hate this. I feel like this band probably set the bar for death metal… and everyone who came after in this genre was inspired by the likes of them. The songs did tend to sound the same to me after a while, but they’re all structured well musically. Decent listen, but kind of exhausting after a while.
Better than expected. Still not my style. Musically impressive. 3/5
hurjat. afjalisrucnalcsalkfjakldsjfhaklshnjdailn venommm..... alussa luulin että nyt tulee produktio kultaa. sitten tapahtui niin että monotoninen paska i minkäänlaista dynamiikkaa ja mietiskelin pikkasen että mites tässä kävi näin. koko albumi kuulostaa että huoneen taakke menty ei uskallettu valon alle tulla. ei parrasvalojen välke viehätä näitä veikkoja ilmeisesti.. sittenhän sieltä tuli lyriikkaa jotain helvetti helvetti en halua elää.. mietiskelin pikkasen että mites tässä kävi näin. miksi et ole kuollut? jos ei saatana kelpaa. mutta ei nää saatananpalvojat ole saatananpalvojia, teeskentelijöitä vain. perkeleen papasta tehty rahavirran lähde. kuin joulupukki koka-kolan maskottina konsanaan. devil does not come as goat.. come as all you want.. as money.. as beutyful woman.. sacrifice
I enjoyed the dark themes and there were some spectacular guitar moments. The vocals didn't do much for me and the production quality felt like it was recorded in a garage. I think the rhythms and melodies were nonexistent and it just made this album not as palatable as it could've been.
Kako se kaže:historijska važnost ali da mi je neki posebni gušt i ne baš
Not bad, but not great either. Fairly generic and samey feeling throughout. Decent instrumentals and vocal work. 'Leave Me In Hell' was my fave from this album.
Had never heard this and it was pretty solid. Quite enjoyable.
Not bad, pretty average metal, although I don't know much about the genre.
Old metal. 😏
Did not hate it the way I was expecting to
eu particularmente prefiro mais o welcome to hell mas esse num é tão ruim não
é bem mais besta do que eu lembrava. mas é rapidim e super influente, bacana demais btw acho essa capa mto foda. foi feito em corretivo liquido ta ligado
This album is of course foundational for heavy metal music. It’s good, at times. Comical at others. But the horribly raw production is tough to bear. Even remastered, it still sounds pretty tough to listen to.
Rating: 5.5/10 Decent but definitely dated.
This brings memories back: 8th grade, listening to countess bathory with my buddies... Well surprisingly, listening nowadays this album is still a good experience...everything is already there in a 1982 album that defines the foundations of all the trash metal US scene.
Surprisingly listenable. How scared I was when the first lrycis were sung! and then I realised I liked the "Black Metal" ending with the growling voice. I don't think I'll do it again, but good effort! 20 titles!
Like your metal in the classic, riff-driven, power-drumming, Satan-invoking style? Look no further
More albums should be interrupted midway through with a group of drunks chanting “get your tits out for the lads”. Fully honest, was not a fan of the start of this at all - more of the same problems I have with a lot of metal in that it feels like it lacks rhythm to me. That said, this picked up pretty well in the middle and there’s some good stuff in here! Big fan of teachers pet & countess bathory.
I think Black Metal is perhaps a terrible name for this album, especially in a modern context. I do suppose that is my ignorance of the genre though too as I didn't realise there were different waves of Black Metal, still it's hard to link this and Mercyful Fate together. I went into this expecting something different than what I got and it led to me disliking it heavily. Coming back to it a few days later though, I get it. This is to say I took them initially to be darker and more sincere. It took me until the song Teacher's Pet to really get them. It's crucially not a remotely serious song, and the studio yelling at the end is what sold me on this album. This isn't Metallica, this is a bunch of pub blokes trying to recreate Black Sabbath as thrash. It's a parody of satanic metal in the same vein as La Villa Strangiato is parody of Prog while still being shining examples of what they parody. I think most of my issues with this stem from a difference in preference. It's not really up there in metal records for me. This thing was released after Motorhead has already released 5 albums including Overkill and Ace of Spades. It does share a lot of the same English metal energy as them but about 20% less serious. If this were the 80s maybe I'd come back to this but nowadays this album reminds me too much of music that I much prefer to this. I do kinda like the production on this thing though even if it isn't my preference. It sounds like the whole thing was recorded in a long corridor with very boomy echoey vocals and very heavy bass. I do still think the start of the album is weak, especially To Hell and Back which is so underbaked. Highlight: Teachers Pet
Good metal. Can see where the influenced a lot of the metal in the 80s
a black metal album, that's aptly named... black metal. as expected, this album is chock-full of edgy speedy headbanging metal music that your grandmother would probably call "devil-worshipping songs". devil and hellish imagery plagues throughout the album, pretty much everything you would expect. demons and monsters and fire and pentagrams and the grim reaper and getting into vile degenerate shit... don't expect anything TOO interesting in terms of lyrics. mixing and guitars are pretty nice, but they're quite echoey. i've heard these guys are pioneers with the genre, but at a lot of times these tracks almost feel like parodies of the genre.
It’s absolutely insane to me that bands like this helped stoke the satanic panic witch hunt in the 1980s. These lyrics are so over the top it’s basically camp. Is this an album I want to listen to everyday? No, but I appreciate it for its significance on the genre, and for the fact that it freaked out a bunch of people who didn’t get the bit. Hail Satan.
This era of metal isn't my favorite but it undeniably has its appeal. This feels more like Thrash than what I think of as Black Metal (I haven't heard much but my mind goes to Transylvanian Hunger by Darkthrone as the prime example), and that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. The vocals aren't terrible but they don't really stand out to me as being super special. I know this is a genre thing, but I'm not big on the super brittle guitar tone that Black Metal is known for. I tend to favor at least some midrange chunkiness in metal distortion. Not really my thing, but a solid record for sure. 7/10
Eh. At its best, reminiscent of Motörhead or AC/DC. But not as good. I repeat. Eh.
Speed metal is not my thing. This was pretty good though. I won’t revisit, but I can’t deny that those chaps know what they’re doing.
Tenacious D vibes. Fun in an over the top kind of way, even if most metal isn't really my thing.
For a satanic metal album, this really was quite dull. Not terrible to listen to, but I didn’t feel anything but disappointment.
The scream at the start of Heaven's on Fire deserves 1 star. Whilst in many ways the album wasn't great, I still enjoyed it more than a lot on this list.
Very Satanic, but I did enjoy most of it. Also liked that the last track is a preview for their next album
black metal- 5 to hell and back- 4 buried alive- 6. kinda ate with this. happened to me raise the dead- 5 teachers pet- 5 leave me in hell- 4 sacrifice- 5 heavens on fire- 4 countess bathory- 4 dont burn the witch- 4 how do you make something this mid
I was on board through the first few songs, but then it just became background noise while working. Not sure if that's because I don't have a keen ear for thrash metal, or if these songs all legitimately sound fairly similar, or if I was just devoting too much mental energy to my work to appreciate the differences from song to song. At any rate, this was not bad, and I appreciate their service to the genre of metal. 3.1
Can absolutely hear the inspiration for heavy metal legends but the actual production makes this a hard to listen to album and I'm surprised it's not been remastered so you can, y'know, actually hear the definition in the guitars, vocals, stuff like that.
60/100. Black Metal by Venom is an iconic and influential metal album, but for me, it doesn’t do much. It feels surprisingly tame, and the instrumentation doesn’t hit hard enough to fully pull me in. While I respect its legacy, it doesn’t quite have the intensity I look for in metal. Overall, a decent but underwhelming listen.
++: Black Metal, Buried Alive, Raise the Dead, Don't Burn the Witch, At War with Satan (Introduction) +: Heaven's on Fire, Countess Bathory +-: To Hell and Back, Leave Me in Hell, Sacrifice -: Teacher's Pet 5,8/10
Cheesy lyrics nothing great but paved the way for some future bands
Really not in my realm of music, but lyrically this piece was moving.
Interesting how this was considered an early influence on heavy metal, and you can hear that in the music since it sounds more tame but rhythmically similar to today’s metal.
I'm torn on rating this one. Definitely not my genre and I got very little enjoyment listening to it. But on the other hand, for what it was, it was solid, and despite it not being at all what I wanted to hear at the time, I had no issues playing it all the way through. So... 3.
Seems like an album intentionally made to prod satanic panic, made worse with the fact that the genre that emerged from this album ‘black metal’ has become heavily associated with neo nazi beliefs. I haven’t looked into it much but I don’t think thats venom’s fault really, you have something with evil associations and there was bound to be someone to take advantage of that. This album deserves to be on the list I think it marks a very interesting point in time, I didn’t find it great nor terrible 3/5
Första lyssningen tänkte jag, "blä". Inte kaos-blä, dock. Lyssnade mer och det växte lite. Fortfarande kluven dock. Det här skulle nog kunna falla ut olika beroende på dag/humör. Men den får en 3:a pga intensiteten.
Habilt hantverk men inget jag kommer sätta på i framtiden.
Je comprends le délire. Intéressant qu’ils aient créé le genre Black Métal même si après coup ils sont pas vraiment dedans
Old School Power Beast
sounds evil
Pretty standard metal, which I usually find pretty dull. A couple of the songs have something extra, such as Teacher's Pet, but generally they stick to the fast-guitar-shouty-vocals shtick. 2.5/5
Tasting notes: I'm getting some early Metallica, definitely some Motorhead. Hints of Dimebag. Definite metallic aftertaste. Venoms influence is obviously far reaching. Three stars.
Proto speed metal. Its not very good, but you can see the blueprint for Kill'em All very c;learly. Bonus star for being groundbreaking.
I enjoyed this album of tunes by the bastard offspring of Judas Priest and Black Sabbath a lot more than the opening riff would have me believe. Not something I will return to again and again but I can get what people see in this sort of music.
While the album is very influential on metal today, it has not stood the test of time. It is very noisy and with most "satanic" music, it's edgy for the sake of being edgy. A ploy to get older conservative parents outraged and inspire the youth to seek them out to find out what has the parents so riled.
This grew on me based on the quality for the time and for the significance I am assuming. Still, the cliches were all there. There are so many metal songs about being metal.
I felt the production was very muddy and sludgy. Thinking of Metallica's first few albums, the sound on those were a lot cleaner. The opening part of a few songs... I couldn't tell what was going on. I didn't have the volume down low, but I still thought it was very muffled. A lot of the songs sounded like riffs Metallica used on their first album. I'm pretty sure that Venom was first, I don't think Metallica was COPYING them per se. It just... sounds better. And "Teacher's Pet"... wtf was that about? I appreciate it for what it is, but the sound quality of the songs, along with some of the goofiness... ...all in all I would rather listen to "Master of Puppets" or "Ride The Lightning." Top tracks: "Sacrifice," "Countess of Bathory"
After Nick Drake and Brian Eno, this is definitely different and far less easy listening. I didn't hate it. It's decent as far as thrash or heavy metal goes. I've never been into the satanic side of it; don't care for that imagery or content. For metal, I just care if it rocks. And for the most part, this rocks. Yeah, it's a little too angry and the vocals are a bit too snarly and limited, but there's some nice guitar riffs, good pulsing bass, and solid drumwork. I'm not going in search of more, but it could be far worse. And apparently these guys blazed a trail for black or thrash metal. So, take the good with the bad. I think this album lands in an average spot for all that.
Black Metal was surprisingly better than I expected. While I hate shock value for the sake of shock value, Venom at least had interesting music to go along with it. I don't think this album is the best thing ever, but it definitely earned its spot on the list. Best Songs: Black Metal, To Hell and Back Worst Songs: Buried Alive, Teacher's Pet
Some significant meh moments, started off kinda typical for its genre but ended nicely.
A band I've heard of but never really listened to. I can definitely hear how they're an inflection point between the NWOBHM from the late 70s and early 80s and the thrash and black metal that came later. That said, I think some of the bands that carried the torch after this were just better. The production sounds like it's recorded in a tin can and the vocals are just so so. Still... it's metal! Can't wait to see how badly this is savaged in the Global reviews. This crowd hates metal.
Sounds a little dated, quality of the recording is not great. Musically it's good, lyrically it's a little cheesy.
It’s right up my alley.
Black Metal 3 To Hell and Back 3.2 Buried Alive n/a Raise the Dead 4 Teacher's Pet 3.5 Leave Me in Hell 3.1 Sacrifice 3.6 Heaven's on Fire 3.4 Countess Bathory 3.3 Don't Burn the Witch 3.4 Score: 3.388888889
3.75
Lo disfrute
Sound quality is pretty atrocious, but the vitality and songwriting is definitely there. I had heard of this album but never got around to listening to it. Glad I finally rectified that. A fun tongue-in-cheek album in a world that often takes everything far too seriously.
nothing to do with the Tom Hardy films, or Eminem song from them, but not as much fun as they are either. Probably not actually black metal (by modern standards) but a solid NWOBHM effort, even if that it the worst genre name of all time.
I dont love Metal but this was a nice listen, I didnt hate it by any means I just wasn't super into it.
Keskikaartin mestariteos
black metal fight! dont burn the witches! roooaaaarrrr. etc. i enjoyed the quick guitar and frantic drumming. this album still works forty years later.
Honestly this isn't as bad as I was dreading it to be. I can't say I'd recommend listening to it when you have a headache, but other than that it's fine.
Not my cup of tea but I could stomach it.
It's funny to compare this to current black metal and how much heavier it has become. This album seems tame in comparison
p498. 1982. 3 stars. Motorhead wannabees with an interest in demons, satanism and horror. Once you realise this is a Spinal Tap parody it's quite amusing. Prefer the Justin Bieber cover of "Don't Burn The Witch" though.
I love trash metal. Never heard of Venom. Not bad at all. Little bit dated but that happens.
I mean, it certainly was black metal.
Cartoonish themes, slick and heavy playing, one.song’s sexual politics haven’t dated well, but enjoyable overall.
Nice. Pretty enjoyable. Not a fan of the voice that sounds really quiet and grawling.
Some good parts in here. Poor audio quality and there's way better metal out there now but good for its time.
I honestly expected to hate this, but didn’t. I liked the dark Norse themes of the songs.
Weirdly boring for a metal album
Teuflisch!
The thing is... I really don't ... Metal is not my go to genre. It doesn't matter good, bad, or indifferent; I just don't enjoy it very much. Venom is very metal, but not "like" head banger metal or growl, more like taking a classic hard rock band and pushing it into the whole stereotypical satan worshipping death metal arena. The lyrics are so over the top I laughed out loud, although the content was like horror movie plot-line, whiich is usually intended to be disturbing, not funny. And they just kept going. Every once and a while I would sense a certain less fun element in the lyrics that makes you hope nobody is taking this too seriously. And ultimately they are what they are: a pretty solid metal, kind of distrubing but probably not completely serious, not un-entertaining "black"(as in dark and morbid) metal (!) band.
Is this really black metal? Rather listen to Iron Maiden
The vocals are trying way too hard. It does not feel authentic. Would be better served with a Deep Purple vocal style. The rest is nice metal sound.
Its metal, and pretty good metal
These guys would love dnd.
I really wish the band would take the time to either re-record this, impossible now I'm sure, or to remaster it properly. The biggest detriment to it (and there are quite a few) is the recording quality. There is way too much reverb and echo. I'm not sure if that's intentional or if it's just the way whatever studio they did this was set up. The songs are pretty standard thrash metal from the 80's but it seems that Venom kind of invented or at least mainstreamed the genre. It really does sound like a shitty Megadeth record; like if these were the "parents garage" sessions, with lyrical maturity to match. I liked the title track, "Heaven's on Fire" and "Don't Burn the Witch". "Teacher's pet" is pretty absurd; like if Hot for Teacher by Van Halen was, well, this. The album did start to grow on my once I got over the sound quality. It's not stellar or anything but it's a solid "I'm mad and everything sucks!" album. I didn't bother with any of the bonus tracks, wasn't feeling it enough to bother with another albums length of it. The style has evolved and been made muuuuuch better. An extra point for originality at the time.
The fact that it was recorded through a tin can actually helps the album.
Fast, grimy and idiotic. As it should be.
Actually not as good as I thought it would be. I presumed it would be more black metal focused given its listed as the album which launched the genre, but it honestly just sounded like a heavyier version of Motohead, Diamond Head etc. Still alright, but not blown away. I'm guessing actual black metal isn't represented on this list which is a shame. I think everyone should hear Drudkh before they die.
Old school raw metal. Good stuff!
For an older metal album it's not bad! I see the foundation of the music today, and the riffs are decent and fun
Ýmislegt áhugavert í þessu m.v. ártalið.
Hail punk Satan!
An album I’ve not listened to since my first foray into metal in the 80’s. Wasn’t to my taste then but can see the influence it had on entire genre.
It's good, if not generic.
Not my usual type of music and I didn't like all of the songs but I did like Buried Alive, Leave Me In Hell, and Nightmare.
rrrrrrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaaaggggghhhh funny af and id be lying if I said I hated it
Raw production but some good moments. Very cliche themes about Satan. Not a bad listen though 6/10
Not really into this type of music at all, and I'd never heard of Venom. But I actually enjoyed it. And I can see how it influenced other bands.
Ich war auf das schlimmste gefasst. All die Kritiken haben mich eingeschüchtert. Und doch wurde ich positiv überrascht. Die Songs sind eingängiger als erwartet und weniger trashig als befürchtet. Mir hat es gefallen, aber es wird nicht mein Lieblingsalbum.
I postponed this one for ages but it isn't as abrasive as I expected. Not that it's not abrasive, it definitely is but I can also see the appeal to this. I'm actually enjoying this quite a lot, I can still hear great hooks and melodies behind the screaming. Honestly a 3.5, would possibly revisit!
I weirdly kind of liked this one Loved the guitars, was really vibin to it. Sadly the guys voice is terrible and the lyrics made me laugh at times. A solid "alright" album 3 ⭐️
Delivers what it promises. I feel like in the 80s it was frowned upon when a metal singer was actually good at singing so it feels like they actively sing like shit. Good songs, poor execution - the sign of the 80s metal
I think I like this? There was a stretch in the middle of the album where the tracks were starting to get pretty same-y, but it recovered by the final couple tracks to deliver a project with a lot of influence not only for black metal, but also thrash acts from the mid-to-late 80s. You can hear groups like Slayer a ton, and while I don't know if that's a true connection, it certainly helps a listener feel right at home in something that could've been seen as relatively new in the 80s. However, the music itself is just okay. I know that the production was a rush job, but everything feels muffled and makes it difficult to appreciate any intricate instrumentation hiding below the surface. The lyrics are also just plain goofy, which works in some areas, but for songs like Teacher's Pet, it can be plain gross. At least the singer isn't putting on that silly voice most black metal bands seem to have, otherwise this whole album would be a comedy. It's an album that deserves to be listened to because of what it helped bring into the music world, but it itself is just okay, and were I more familiar with the genres and influences I would be far more undogmatic about the whole thing. Eh... still find myself feeling that way, anyhow.
The mastering certainly leaves something to be desired, but otherwise the guitar work is satisfactory and the lyricism is substantial. It’s a good mix of punk and metal, a particular pallet is needed to immerse, but not necessary to at least enjoy.
You can definitely hear the influence for 100 bands here. On its own, it's good but not spectacular
Well, for once I didn’t totally hated the cliche metal album, it was fast and short so it was ok. I won’t be listening again but it actually helped me though the last part of bike training lol
This album did not help during the Satanic Panic, that’s for sure. Still pretty good, sounded like Metallica in a lot of ways.
Nii eihän tää ollutkaan black metallia, vaan trashia. Ja aika hyväntuulista sellaista. Hyvää energiaa. Parhaat: Black Metal, To Hell And Back
I'm not a big fan of the echo effect on the vocals for every song. I thought it makes it sound like a cheap-not scary haunted house. Then this Buried Alive song comes on so yeah I guess we are in some kind of haunted house of rock. I like that many of the songs are mixed so that you can actually hear the bass & vocals and everything is not drowned out by the guitars. Teacher's Pet reminds me an awful lot of Hot for Teacher. I'm wondering if this was Van Halen's inspiration. I thought Heaven's On Fire would be a Kiss cover. It wasn't. This is probably really great metal. I dunno. I'm at about a 2.5 with this. I didn't dislike it to the point that it annoyed me. I just quickly got bored of it but I'll give it bonus points for not just growling and thrashing the whole time.
Maybe my expectations were just way low, but this wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating. Definitely not my genre, but they rock out pretty hard in some of these songs, and it wasn’t as over the top as some of the metal albums I have a hard time even getting through. Lots of serious guitar shredding!
surprisingly good background music!
Not a big fan of Metal but this album is ok
What a Nightmare. Maybe a little too Die Hard for me.
This is the foundation of my youth. A lot of the bands I listened to growing up were directlyor indirectly influenced by Venom. While I hadn't been turned on to them until later, I love them for existing!
first listen sounds like someone sold their soul to the devil and didn't even get the ability to record a good album out of the deal
Hail Satan! Once you get past the 80’s metal cheese, it does have a few high points. I really prefer sludgy metal, but you can tell these guys were having fun and didn’t take themselves all that seriously. Definitely had a big influence on the next couple decades
i'm not really a big metal guy at all, but i appreciate this era of metal a lot more than the more modern sound. i love the rawness of it. particularly the energy of the guitars and the drums. this album does this well, but i don't really care for the overdramatic spin on this one (edgy? not really, maybe for the time). also none of the songs stood out to me in any way. so, ultimately, like the sound, don't really care about the music that's here. not bad, not awful, not great.
Fun to see where some of the metal scene from the late 80s and on got their inspiration.
Ég hef aldrei hlustað á Venom áður og setti þetta hugsunarlaust í gang. Skömmu síðar hugsaði ég svo hvað þetta væri hrikalega mikið að reyna að vera thrash metal en væri samt ekkert á við bestu böndin á því sviði. Svo sá ég hvenær þetta kom út og áttaði mig á þetta band er ekki að reyna að herma heldur ruddi líklegast brautina. Það er samt ólíklegt að ég muni muna eftir þeim og setja þá aftur á fóninn. Frekar hlusta ég á þá sem eltu Venom.
Some parts were fun. Some were not. I guess historical context is why this is on the list
I don’t love modern thrash/black metal, so I came into this apprehensive, but I actually liked this. It is a pretty far cry sound-wise from modern thrash and that suits me just fine. Solid 80’s heavy metal, fun but not really a killer track here in my eyes.
Glædelig forsinket fredag! Synes sgu den var ret fed!
Fine
Fun. Obviously very influential.
Definitely an interesting listen which I liked, but I need to be honest. It's good but I didn't find it great. Some solid moments but not quite enough for me to give a seriously high rating.
It’s funny being called black metal before black metal became what black metal is today. I’m just going to try to say black metal as much as possible. Not my favorite of this wave, that’d be Iron Maiden, but I appreciate it being a precursor to the thrash scene in America (2.5/5)