Reviews (page 7 of 8)
Musically this is pretty tight, a pretty easy 3, but the vocals are terrible. The lyrics are as bad as you would expect them to be, to the point of sounding like a parody. Hard to imagine ever coming back to it. Fave Songs: Black Metal, To Hell and Back, Buried Alive
Loved the mood and instrumentals, lyrics were meh
It has that mix of 80s rock/metal and punk. If you remember this album you definitely still have an old leather jacket hanging in your closet. Not the best, but not the worst.
Metal. Nothing grabbed me.
Not my thing
Vaak over gehoord, nooit geluisterd. Dit is top. Lekker ruig. Mooie brug tussen Black Sabbath en Metallica.
Man the lyrics on this are corny. Like we get it, you worship Satan. The 15 year olds must’ve went crazy for this one. However, after reading up a bit on this record, I found it was pretty influential to a lot of thrash bands that would come later. These guys were like the first to go real heavy. Pretty cool.
First day back at work after over a week off, did not need this. Not my kinda vibe. A bit boring tbh.
This shit SUCKS like actually i really don't like this kind of music couldn't even finish the thing. I'm not even sorry, screw you Venom
They sounded a bit upset about something or other
Nah
Not a big fan of this album, I feel like all the songs sounds similar. The instrumentals were good just not in love with the vocals.
Heavy / thrash metal all about death and the devil. The music is probably best enjoyed live! All tracks very similar
It was okay. I think I may have preferred an instrumental version. It didn't feel special to me
Da va kje så bra, men leste litt om da i black metal-boko mi i sommer
Hearing Grace by Jeff Buckley the day before this is pretty funny to me. "Hallelujah" vs "chaos in hell" Like some other metal albums I've listened to, becomes samey after a certain point but there's a level of camp and theatricality that I can enjoy. Other commenters are accurate, Tenacious D sounds like they owe a lot from records like this HL: title track, "Raise the Dead", "Sacrifice", "Countess Bathory" less enthusiastic about: "Teacher's Pet" 6.66/10 (well more like a 5.9 but I needed to make the joke) August 23, 2023
I listened to 20 seconds of the first track, then 20 seconds of the second, and got the gist. C’mon…
Not quite as metal and the album cover, title, and band name might suggest. but it does make me want to summon the dead.
Though it sounds a bit like a low fidelity cassette tape, this was a lot more approachable than i expected. Pretty straight forward hard rock with a more metal slanting lead singer delivery. Countess Bathory and Black Metal stood out for me.
Not a good album. I just can't do metal like this. 1/5
Not for me, but at least it’s not actively bad like Slayer. 3/10
3/5 I’m not a metal fan but I found this entertaining - Even the clownish lyrics!
Fast and hard
Well this is an absolute assault. Unfortunately, what it's assaulting me with is tedium. Yes, yes, you bleed an unexpected amount. Yes yes, you worship the devil. I expect you've got a teatowel with a picture of Baphomet on his throne on it. Your mum bought it for you, because while she doesn't exactly approve, well, it's harmless isn't it and the least she can do is encourage you to get out of yourself a bit. I get that this inspired a genre, but I honestly think that 2/3rds of this album could easily have been left out and we'd all still get the point. I wish my mum had bought me a teatowel with a picture of Baphomet on his throne on it.
I want to like metal, but its all a bit cringe isn't it. It was fine.
Would've preferred it as instrumental only
Heavy shit, dudes shredded
Felt like being way too drunk at a bad bar after all my friends left
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.
Influential and a decent listen, but doesn't hold up so well in terms of lyrics, technical ability, and polish unlike some of the bands that were directly influenced by this in the 80s
2 star not my vibe
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.
# 30 : Sounds like it was recorded during a jam session in their garage.
Classic album. Beautiful solos.
On the first listen I wasn't really sure about this but this album really does grow on you and I was having a lot of fun right about the time I heard Buried Alive for the second time. As the album progressed I was thinking this was a 4 for sure but I realised this version has 10 extra songs and I think this album would be perfect if it ended with Don't Burn The Witch. By the end of Acid Queen - 12" Version I was starting to get a bit over these goes so 3 it is. Favourite tracks Buried Alive, Leave Me In Hell.
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.
I understand why this album is on this list but I’m not really into it.
C'était bon, mais c'est drôle comment cet album était considéré choquant à l'époque, aujourd'hui c'est plutôt tranquille. Par contre on sent les influences qui ont mené à l'avènement du death metal et du black metal. J'ai pas trouvé que c'était un album parfait, mais c'est en effet un album à écouter avant de mourir. 7/10
I can see the appeal, but this isn’t for me. When it comes to hard rock, I think I prefer stuff that’s more melodic. 2/5
Similar to other metal albums for me, but not bad. Top tracks: Countess Bathory, Buried Alive, Sacrifice
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.
I can see where a lot of metal came from this, but by itself it was just ok. I started losing attention during the second half of the album, the lyrics and music were kinda repetitive and the former were dumb (only sometimes in a fun way). Still, parts of tracks 4 and 5 were pretty good. I'd give this a 2.5.
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.
29th June 2023 Listened a day late throughout the day. Was in London for GD town hall. god this was a slog.
I don't listen to a lot of metal, but I can appreciate it and have heard a lot of talented bands and musicians in the genre. This album was mostly just okay to me. Sorry, Black Metal, it's not your fault that you and similar bands always remind me of Spinal Tap.
Taxi!
Is that Meg White on drums? This really isn't very good. I don't care if it's influential, the album itself is shit. Most of it sounds like that track on Dead Letter Office when REM were pushing about. I was expecting thrash. I didn't enjoy any of the songs, nor did I think it was musically good but just not for me. Hence it's a one star, sorry, those are the rules. Also, why does it end with a long intro to a song which then immediately fades out? Daft.
Not for me
I typically don't care for death metal music. This was early death metal so it wasn't full on screaming. It was short and wasn't horrible. Not good but I tolerated it.
Nope
Nope
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.
Not bad, not great. Entertaining enough for a listen imo, but not something I feel like I need to come back to.
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
“My flesh it doth rot!” Man this Tenacious D album sucks. Like many things in the early 80s, I’m sure this was the worst of the worst devil music any poor child could be exposed to. But in 2023, I’d believe it if Pat Robertson had this album play during his funeral. Venom isn’t doing anything here that bands like Iron Maiden or Slayer weren’t doing ten times better. It’s a shock record designed to target 15 year old boys who wanted to piss off their dads. But hey, points for helping adjust the course of metal. All hail Satan.
Big, dumb, trailblazing metal for those looking to spice up their next séance, summoning, and/or Satanic slumber party.
not as bad as I was expecting, but still not really for me - 5/10
Seriously? This guy's voice is terrible and the songs are so basic. Devil rock? So cliche. I grew up listening to heavy metal. This is weak by most any standard. Worse, it keeps people from giving metal a chance. Maybe this album is on the list because it is early in the development of the genre? If not, I'm not sure why it's among the others.
Did not enjoy at all. Basic and boring. Listened to the end to see if my opinion would change. Wish I hadn't bothered.
Driving rhythm and bass, great riffs, but a little too screamy to vote any higher for me
A tough listen.
Good metal album. 2.5
Venom are still touring because Satan doesn't want them stinking up Hell with this terrible racket.
It's interesting to see the kind of through-line from British Blues-covering to Zeppelin-esque original "Heavy Metal" to the roots of what is now thought of as heavy metal in all its labeled permutations. Not that big of a fan of the sound though, and while I'm not bothered by the occult or Satanist content, it's a pretty shallow iconography that holds little interest for me.
I’m sure this hasn’t aged well. Unless it’s intended to be comical?
🤘
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!
In lieu of good songs, be noisy and edgy for the sake of it. Not bad, but quite boring. 2/5
When I saw the lyrics "Satan records their first note" I laughed my ass off. Tougher guys or better musicians can call me a pussy but literally the only contribution Metal music has made is that it gave us Jack Black. But I gave it a shot and I got to the second track. And then immediately started laughing again at the "arm and arm with Lucifer" visual, as if they were frolicking. I think 80s Reaganite parents worried way too much about metal. They should've laughed more at their kids and it would've been a more effective deterrent. This music is hysterical. My buddy in a metal band and I have discussed at length how different metal and punk are. Metal musicians are some of the most technically talented musicians in the world, who choose to play the worst music you've ever heard. Punks literally can't play, but you still know Blitzkrieg Bop, don't you? Anyway this music goes hard, maybe I'll hit the gym and listen to this and make billions of dollars like Dr. Michael Burry. The licks on raise the dead were actually sick. But yeah then I got to Teacher's Pet and laughed my ass off again, not a fucking shot any of those dorks have ever been with a woman.
I do prefer this genre of metal (speed/thrash) over something more polished you would find in Metallica's later albums. However a thrash album like this has less replay value for me...if that makes sense. Albums like this are very cathartic and I love the explosiveness they provide, after that initial introduction though, the album becomes less impactful for me
This was somewhat fun to listen to at the gym just because of the crazy energy. But wow, the lyrics in these songs are so incredibly bad. And not the turbonegro type of bad where it’s funny. Just bad. Add the over the top vocal inflection and delivery onto that and the result is an insufferably corny album if you listen too close. Also thrash is just not my sound. It gets a 2 and that could be generous. Best: none MMM: TEACHERS PET TEACHERS WET MMM
"If the urukai from LOTR had a band, is this what would sound like?"
Post-sabbath core. Doesn't have the same punch as Slayer and the guitar isn't as good as Pantera. Teacher's Pet interesting bluesy metal song
Pretty cool
make metallica cornier and talk about satan more
I'm not going to lie....I was very surprised by this. These guys can play and actually wrote songs with structure. It sounded, to me, like a cross between Motorhead and Metallica. The problem is that they reminded me of that guy in high school/college who, regardless of how cool he actually may have been, tried SO hard to be edgy/scary/stand out from the crowd, that he lost all credibility and left everybody rolling their eyes as they walked past him. That's these guys to a "T". Enough of the "satanic imagery.....oooohhh....scary!", boy. It's always been lame and ages really poorly.
The most interesting that happened on this album was when the music gradually started getting softer at the end of the final track, At War With Satan. Otherwise, just a lot of screaming and unremarkable music.
4/10. Wait, they ended the album with a preview of the first track of their next album? Is this a metal album, or a mass market serial YA novel?
Pretty goofy, not nearly as bad as I would’ve expected from the global reviews. We’ve certainly had worse (longer) metal albums. I think the thing that hurts this album the most is its extremely shitty production - the Satan stuff is a decent conceit, if a bit overstated. 5/10
Loud, it's okay, much better metal out there, but gather theses guys were pioneering, still rate on how it sounds
HELL. DEATH. PISS. I FUCK DEMONS. FIRE BURNS. SATAN RISES. I DON'T PAY MY TAXES ON TIME. This sounds like a fake album that a kid in an 80s sitcom would listen to as a parody of "trying too hard to be edgy"-metal. "Teacher caught me masturbating underneath the desk" - actual lyrics from this album. Also featuring the world's blandest production of all time.
I can see how much influence they had on an entire genre of music. The music itself was interesting.
Maybe good in its time, but not just sounds really hilarious. The audio is also shit which doesn't help but it's like amateur hour. Maybe edgy in 1982 but in 2023 it's comical, almost a parody of the metal genre. Also musically it's just not that interesting.
So wannabe edgy, "midnight, 666!" really dawg? I guess I'm just not a fan of the genre
This was alright, not what I’d choose to listen to but I didn’t mind it on in the background. 2*
This was OK. Massively let down by the sound quality I think...
First listen Saved 1/11 Top track: Black Metal
Mötörheads goes metal. Ei oikein innostanut.
Mieluummin kuunteli ku turpaan otti
This is another one that was such a big deal at the time but so much came after it that it now seems quaint by comparison.
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
Sounds like me doing bad screamy karaoke. Awful. I understand it is a genre, but nothing here for me.
Too metal for my taste
Not bad but I do think its hyped up too much
This is a solid metal album. I've never been super into metal but can definitely appreciate it. You can still hear the influence this band/album have on metal bands today. I don't see myself coming back to this one a lot in the future but actually enjoyed listening to it today. Standout Tracks: Black Metal, Raise the Dead, Leave Me In Hell
Not for me
Being the first certainly doesn't mean it's also the best
Pax vobiscum.
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.
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.
Rawr and more rawr
That just felt silly
Not my jam
Kinda Yuck.
Fun, goofy devil worship music. It's so funny to me (it really shouldn't be, a lot of people's lives were ruined) that Venom and other's were taken so seriously that it sparked a nationwide panic - but that's America for you
not what i expected! good early thrash. will likely listen to again
It's much more listenable than I expected. Instead of ridiculously lo-fi speedy riffs and intelligible high pitched vocals, I got some proto-trash riffs with an ok vocals (by extreme metal standards). I realized it's all about the lyrics, which of course explores satanic themes. Overall, surprisingly decent for such an anti-commercial album.
I don't think I ever listened to Venom, didn't think they'd be so silly! 3.666 / 5
Who knew that devil worship, human sacrifice and necromancy could be so boring?
I had a root canal once.
Much better metal out there. Clearly an influential record but as with most things, what came after is much better. Teachers Pet can get in the bin.
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.
God no
Just about every song sounded the same.
I do like a fair amount of the guitar work, but everything else is poor. The songs themselves feel pretty weak and the production is dire.
Buen disco, claramente la influencia a mil discos venideros. Malísima producción musical pero tampoco es relevante
I listen to metal somewhat often, but I just have never liked Venom. It just doesn't feel like music to me. I can see how their style influenced 80s thrash metal, which is one of my favorite genres. So I can at least appreciate that even if I dislike the album.
This album didn’t speak to me personally but it does have merit as a jumping off point for many later bands.
every time i listen to metal i wish i could appreciate it more, but i’m just not able to.
Better than expected..
Genre defining
I don't know a lot about metal, but I'll try my best. First of all, this sounds kind of lo-fi. Also, everything feels very compressed. The vocalist reminds me of megadeath or metallica. The guitar seems more classic rock oriented, but it's definitely similar to those aforementioned bands, too. I guess this album isn't considered black metal. I wonder if this album had any influence on the genre that would emerge some 10-odd years later? Maybe just the lo-fi part. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's pretty cool but also very muddy and I think there are other better introductions to the genre(s) of heavy metal
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.
Interesting, but not my cup of tea
Not unlistenable to, but really not my thing. The kind of album that everyone who then made millions listened to (Metallica, Slayer etc) as it's the mid-point between NWOBHM and thrash. The band meanwhile sold about 30 copies no doubt, so kind of the heavy metal Velvet Underground.
Uninspired to the point of annoyance. Instrumentally, they’re technically talented, but use the same basic metal song structure every time. Repetitive and unoriginal, some parts are enjoyable, but if you’ve heard one song, you’ve heard them all. Lyrics are awful, like they’re trying to be satanic without actually knowing what that is. Production value is also just trash. Little to redeem this album, just some mindless metal to put on for a workout or something. 2/5
This was marginally better than shit like sepultura because there's still a bit of musical talent behind it but I still wasn't a fan at all. Joes Blues explosion or whatever was fun even though I couldn't understand the lyrics but it was just lame on this one. I still managed to make it through the entire album so I'm not sure if it deserves a 1 or not.
Venom's a competent band—Dunn in particular does some solid shredding—but the Satanic schtick wears thin pretty quickly. Maybe it was edgy at the time, but it feels corny to my 2023 ears. What struck me most about this album was the track "Teacher's Pet." The beginning of the song felt so similar to Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" that I have to wonder if VH was inspired by it. But then a couple of minutes in it takes a hard left turn and gets surprisingly bluesy, which I don't recall any of the other tracks doing. This might be an album I have to give another listen. They've got sort of a Satanic Motorhead vibe, and I suspect that if I can get past the hokey Christian-bating I might just enjoy it more.
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.
Apparently this is a hugely influential album on thrash metal and speed metal, and spawned the black metal genre. Does this mean there is a direct chain of events you can follow from this album being released to the burning down of Norwegian churches? If so, I wonder how the band feel about that? Musically it doesn't sound cutting edge there days, which maybe is an indication of its success. Lyrically, like many metal albums, it is very, very silly. Rating: 2/5 Playlist track: Black Metal Date listened: 11/03/23 (generated 28/02/23)
Generic heavy metal vocals, generic heavy metal guitar riffs, generic heavy metal drums. It’s not “bad” but there’s absolutely nothing remarkable or even memorable about this. Literally nothing stands out. I have zero interest in listening again.
ok
ахаха я боюсь этого альбома, как бабуся)) страшная обложка, страшные названия текстов (хотя даже смешно немного, когда одних и тех же типа страшных слов так много рядом и они повторяются (в общем-то просто темы одни и те же)): "в ад и обратно" - а нет, все-таки "оставьте меня в аду" - там я пойду на "войну с сатаной"), сама музыка страшноватая спасибо, что, как выразился один из авторов здесь, "the whole thing sounds like it was recorded in their bathroom" - так смешнее) и менее страшно но сначала похихикала, а потом все таки стало тревожно, так что досвидос, сатанисты ахах (не могу выбрать, 1 поставить или 2)
Jesus no
Everything I expected from a band and album named thus. I expect the lyrics are hilarious if I could pick them out. Not unenjoyable silly thrash thrash.
The production on this album is terrible which apparently is supposed to be part of its appeal? I don't get it. The lyrics are pretty edgy and hardcore, but I guess I just don't care about black metal. I am an atheist, too, so it's not the lyrical content that bothers me, it just doesn't really get me hyped for some reason, and I think that's what the artists were going for, so it missed the mark. The instrumentation seemed pretty generic to me and the vocals were just meh. I think part of it might've been the lack of production, but I don't know. I just didn't like it. Quiet the opposite, actually, which is why I give it 1 star.
i mean, it's no Children of Bodom, but I get why it's here
Silly and fun
You can understand why heavy metal is so easily parodied, the cliches are all here starting with the band name (Venom!), the album title (black (darkness)+metal= Black Metal!), the song titles (To Hell and Back, Buried Alive, Raise The Dead, Leave Me In Hell, Sacrifice, At War with Satan...), album cover (demon face+inverted pentacle star+666+inverted cross=satanic imagery, obviously!). I don't generally enjoy heavy metal music, but can appreciate the effort, (sometimes) this hits all the anti-mainstream sub-genres, speed metal, thrash metal, extreme metal, black metal, but it feels like they're trying way too hard to be offensive and satanic. I'm not offended, but they take themselves way too seriously and though punk and hardcore are musical cousins, at least most punk (and HC) bands have a sense of humour (well, maybe not Rollins!) and/or have an awareness they aren't demon anti-Christs that are saving the world.
didn't give a care
Scary
Two noisy albums in a row. I sometimes wonder if these albums are picked without a real listen and like ...
Wow that was hard work. And this is a rough week.
Ridiculous but fun, like Metalocalypse.
Very poor recording quality, which is unfortunate because I dig some of the songs on a technical level
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.
Everything Metallica would like to be.
Worse than awful.
I want pizza.
It's neat that black metal the genre is named after this album. I never knew that. I dig this more than I expected after seeing the cover. I'm hit or miss on metal but this one is a pretty decentmix of proto-black metal and thrash. I know it's intentional but the lyrics are a bit on the nose and basic though.
Like early unpolished Metallica.
algumas lembra bastante metallica, thrashzao e tal mas nao muitas bem agradáveis
Not very good
Aesthetically metal just is something that interests me from its emphasis on technicality over tune or it’s occult/satanic lyrical themes (boring and unrelatable). I can get a kick out of novelty stuff (Bodycount) or musically undeniable stuff (prime Metallica) but this is neither. They’ve more in common musically with hardcore like Black Flag than power metal, but unfortunately the lyrics are just as dumb as power metal. Look, I don’t buy the existence of satan, and I’m not convinced these guys do either; but they’re more than happy to sell it.
hmm..
Heavy metal clásico. En parte hoy en día, 2022, me ha sonado como una parodia de lo que la gente se imagina que es la música heavy: satanismo, punteos, sonidos guturales, ... Sin embargo, viendo la Wikipedia veo que es con este disco con el que empezó todo y está claro que condensa esa base perfectamente. Curioso como hito histórico y poco más para mi gusto, aunque "Countess Bathory" tiene un aire a Nirvana que me ha parecido una sorpresa y los punteos de "Don't burn the witch" del principio muy Van Halen también tienen su gracia.
Interesting as an artifact. Didn’t find it great to listen to.
Didn't like wouldn't listen again
heavy but good
I am very picky when it comes to metal, and this doesn’t do it for me
I get it, it’s like real-life Spinal Tap - objectively not good though.
My only previous exposure to Venom was the “Live at City Gardens” 7-inch, put out by Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore on his Ecstatic Peace! label. You should check it out, it’s on YouTube. So any chance of an unbiased review went out the window the moment I heard that. In fact, I can’t separate them. There’s almost no difference between this record and that hilarious 7” in my mind, only that this is like a super-sized version of that 7”. Sorry Venom fans, blame Thurston.
few head nodding moments even though this not my thing. 1.6
I guess I'm not kvlt, because this attempt at Satanism-over-thrash is fully hilarious. From the ridiculous lyrics covering life, death, and crushing on teacher to the teaser for an album which could just as easily tease Black Metal if it were at the front, it's pure glorious schlock. I will admit that the complaints about "real black metal" don't make the music any better than serviceable. (Oh, and I like Liturgy, too.)
Made it through 2 songs. No.
Buried Alive->Raise the Dead gets this from a 1 to 2. Phish's version of Buried Alive is way better as it doesn't even need words to convey the sheer terror of being buried alive. I hope Tyler plays this at the store, preferably as setbreak music for a Dead show, but as usual he won't honor Satan. Also interesting to find out today that the Radiohead song "Burn the Witch" is apparently a counter argument to Venoms "Don't burn the Witch". Hail Satan!
Not bad but drums are mostly boring. Recording seems like it could use a clean up.
Nope. Not a fan.
Stepping stone for thrash metal
Heavy metal. No me ha hecho mucho. Un 2.
For an album that spawned one of the most vicious music ever created under its name, Black Metal is a lot of fun. Maybe it's because we have a lot of hindsight on it, but it's kind of surprising how seriously this album was taken by the generation that would create the second wave of black metal. To me it's just a fun metal album with great riffs and some clumsy execution. But since BM is my favorite metal subgenre, I can only be thankful that Venom (and Bathory) helped creating some of the best music out there.
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 !
This album might be difficult to appreciated if you're not into metal, but I swear this one is very important in the history of the genre. Its title even became the name of an evergrowing style of metal, the black metal. This album is so explosive, energetic, fast and grimy, it was a revelation back in 1982. The lyrics and imagery also had a major influence on the shape of metal to come. To me, it sounds like an influencial classic, so... 5 stars!
Ohh !?!
Venom is a new band and everything on Black Metal was new to me. Technically, there are probably differences between each of the tracks, but the whole album seemed to blend together into one big mess. I think that the album mostly reminded me of the background music and sound effects for the video game DOOM, which is survivable but not endearing. There are albums I have disliked more than this one, but it didn't even come close to getting a like from me.
2.666/5
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.
Not at all my style
Wikipedia says it was groundbreaking when it first came out but now it all sort of just merges into one
It's fine. More metal then I usually go
It was... okay I guess. Okay metal with meh lyrics. Probably wouldn't listen again. Giving it a 2 felt cruel because I can see how this probably impacted other music I like. I wouldn't seek it out again. A soft 3
Heavy, Loud, Noisy, Distorted, Metal, Fast, Raw
Iconic, not heavy enough. also the vocals are way back in the mix and it generally sounds not great. super roomy sound that the angular sound just doesnt fit well in.
Starts of as motorhead and stays there mostly, just old metal, that lyrically might be early black metal
Too boring.
It's not even black metal. What we get instead is absolute trash.
I like metal, but I am no fan of Satan. The music was very good. Lyrics were pandering to a certain crowd.
Turd
Pretty silly, schoolboy stuff. Some of the music sounds like proto-shoegaze; "Buried Alive" could be a comedian reading a Hammer Horror script over early Ride. Other parts sound like Motorhead taking the piss out of a community theater production of Rosemary's Baby. Essential, eh?
Just not for me; can’t get through it.
Ich verstehe, dass es sich hier um ein Werk mit hoher Reichweite und Einfluss handelt. Es ist allerdings überhaupt nicht mein Fall unmelodisches Geschrei und Geacheppper über Tod und Teufel zu hören.
A black metal album with a cross-eyed goat-faced man on the cover. Can anything live up to it? Yeah, kinda. I mean - this is some black ass metal. Short tight songs, leaning toward the transgressive. Silly because it's definitely for teenaged boys, but still fun. It's not Regurgitated Guts, but it'll do til some gets here.
Honestly, I realise the historic significance behind this album, but bugger me it's a rough old ride - and that's coming from a metal fan. Borderline incompetent and inadvertently funny. Still, it has heart and I've a soft spot for bands that rise beyond their own limitations. I think 'Black Metal' does this - just about.
I can't recall if I've ever listened to this one before, but my expectations were low and the album exceeded them on almost every level. It's fascinating to me that the sub-genre this album spawned has so little in common with the actual music on the record. It's like a bunch of Norwegian teenagers just saw the artwork and decided to take what they thought Venom probably sounded and looked like and made up their own bands based around that. I can't quite explain how else they got from this album to corpsepaint screeching blast-beat insanity that sounds like it was recorded on an electric can opener. Not to dismiss the whole genre, because there are moments that really work for me. I just don't understand the evolution here. Which is too bad, as well, because I really dig what this album actually is. In essence, it's just a grimier Satanic infused version of Motorhead. That's a winning recipe in my kitchen and I'd have no problem with other bands stealing and modifying that recipe. (see: High on Fire and/or Kvelertak!) Also, how the hell does a church-burning bandmate murdering Norwegian black metal diehard brush off the inarguably terrible song "Teacher's Pet"? (Naturally, it's the longest song on the album.) Worse than the half-baked blues riff bullshit, did you see the lyrics to that one? Good god. I'll give them credit for beating Van Halen to the party, but that song's an X-rated joke that damn near derails the whole album. Keep it in your pants, fellas. Even so, I'll stand up for this one. You know what I love? Songs where they literally spell out words. "Sacrifice" is a banger. "Countess Bathory" rules. "Buried Alive" is tortured and creepy. I wish I had found this at age 12.
Really default metal
Pretty fun thrash album, but not my favorite by a long shot
This album made me wonder if I actually like metal as much as I thought I did. Favorite track: Don't Burn the Witch
No thanks
Lmao not the vibe, bought a chair for too much, still unsure
I didn't jam and I didn't fear the devil
Not for me.
The music actually isn't so bad, but I can't get on board with the screaming vocals, it's all just a bit tedious.
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.
Oy Gevalt!
It wasn't awful, but it definitely wasn't good either.
For sure an influential album, but there are some real stinkers on this. 'Buried Alive' and 'Teachers Pet' make it seem like the album is more of a parody than an actual attempt at creating something, well... good. And the lyrics are often downright atrocious. Then 'Don't Burn The Witch' hits and you get to see why so many bands were inspired by Venom's sound.
There’s no way three guys in Newcastle Upon Tyne could have predict the mayhem (pun intended) this would cause in Norway half a decade later. “Buried Alive” and “Raise the Dead” are absolute highlights on the first side while the harrowing tale of “Countess Bathory” dominates the second half. The artwork and lyrics are almost comically extreme and the production on especially the drums leave some to be desired.. But this is just, almost surprisingly the cover taken into consideration, an extremely fun record! For the sake of my sanity I try to ignore the fact that the album closes on a teaser of the first song of Venom’s next album… Because… Who in hell would actually do such a thing? Nobody, right? Nobody.
This is hard to listen to. 3 I mean it's real black metal, it's okay
2.5.
Zero Pleeaaase can I give this a big fat 0? They should feel ashamed!
Fun album. Praise be to the Dark Lord.
Loud, intense, solid album.
Surprised this is from so early in the 80s. I didn’t mind it, and seems to back all movement toward more modern sounds including Metallica
i always wondered what metal would sound like without the theatrical drama school singing, the squealing guitars and the voice where you pretend you're a demon. this is what it sounds like. fairly palatable, i like the sound but the tracks aren't very interesting. shame really.
These dirty little shit eaters make a real mean record, mummy. They eat more shit than anyone ive ever known. They eat so much shit and that causes them to shit more and therefore eat more. It's just a conveyor belt of eating shit. Eat shit.
Black Metal Matters
Everything about this album from the title to the name of the band to the album art to every single track title sounds like the workings of an angsty teenager who thinks everyone is afraid of him but really everyone is just embarrassed for him.
OK album generator. Metallica + Orchestra and Thin Lizzy live, no complaints. But what is this? From 1982? I've never heard of Venom but I'm guessing it must be foundational in some way. Is it metal week and someone forgot to tell me? Anyway. Here we go. Listening now, in 2022, it sounds almost like a parody. I appreciate the energy and speed, but the actual sound quality is pretty terrible. As are the lyrics. Fine, energizing even, to have on in the background. Not really ideal for a close listen. I did google Countess Bathory, which was an interesting read. One star for energy, one star for setting a direction towards things I like a lot. That's all I can muster.
Once I stopped taking it seriously I enjoyed it.
Lost a lot of the impact with the amateur mixing
Might have bumped it up to a 3⭐️ if it hadn’t been recorded through a duffle coat
I understand its influential but it's all a bit silly. Spinal Tap in real life. All the Satanism stuff is a bit daft but Teachers Pet has lyrics that defy reading. It's a dumb and difficult album to finish as its so tiresome. Double finger horns! Shite. 1
This album feels just as much like punk as it does like metal. There is some metal I really love (e.g. Opeth) This album I thought was just fine but I don't desire to hear it again. Not a particularly bad album. I can understand why some would think the lyrics are dumb, but for me lyrics usually only play a small role in the quality of music. Favorite track: Countess Bathory
I was a child when this record came out, but I loved the cover. It was one of those records your parents would never let you buy. It wasn't the first heavy metal record that I loved. I actually don't love this record all that much compared to "Shout at the Devil", "Blizzard of Ozz", or "British Steel". While one might argue that Venom is a totally different genre, I put it in the same bucket as those other records. Maybe that is unfair of me. That being said, it is hard to argue the influence that Venom had on massively successful metal bands including Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. They seem to have invented that cookie monster vocal style with that dark lyrical content. For that, Black Metal has to be recognized as one of the top albums of all time. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
A bit less my speed at this point in my life but definitely something I would've adored in high school. Also good music to be productive to
Heavy metal. No me ha hecho mucho. Un 2.
Puf, encima todas parecen iguales.
corny.
Very appropriate name for this album. I don't really find myself wanting to listen to black/thrash metal very often but listening through, I did find myself headbanging along. Didn't add any songs to my Spotify but I'll make sure to discuss this album with metalhead friends!
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.
Metal 🤷
Generic metal. No bad, not great
Pretty generic and uninspired.
I could get into this, but this just isn't my thing.
This sounded far fresher than expected.
Did not finish as am not a thrash fan sorry I am unchic.
Very different to what I expected- much more thrashy and not as heavy as I thought it would be, and just not very exciting tbh
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.
meh
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
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
Ok so it's not my jam but I definitely liked it more than I expected. Probably as close to punk as metal gets. 2.5 🌟
satan soundscapes and guitar solos
No….just no
Cool exposure for my mental timeline for the genre, but nothing spectacular.
Although it was one of the first thrash metal albums, it doesnt mean that I enjoyed it. Just a tad bit too aggressive for me and the "satanic" theme that runs through the whole album is just not something I can get behind
Didn’t enjoy it. Lot of mediocre vocals and uninteresting metal riffs
Ugh. Disliked every minute of it.
Did not expect to enjoy this one, was again surprised. Don't think they'll be a regular play for me, but I have new respect for Venom.
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.
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.
Mediocre metal, and if that's the best I can say about a metal album, that's a bad sign. I honestly forgot I was listening at one point and just let it fade into the background. I really wanted to like it more, but it just wasn't happening.
Forgettable. Feels like it's trying too hard to be edgy
Eh not for me
Didn’t hate this but it’s pretty cringe
Enjoyed this. Starts a bit slow but picks up. Great choons, vocals less so good. Can hear their influence in modern metal
Definitely not “black metal” so I’m guessing this is the first known use of the term? More like proto thrash hard rock. Meh.
Apparently very influential in the Satan-bothering metal scene. Not sure if that's really something that deserves respect though. Didn't hate it but it all feels a bit route one, and the production sounds less 'unpolished' and more 'unfinished'.
Brilliant. Loved this. Without looking it up, I'll assume they were massively influential on Metallica. Easy 4 stars
Più che black metal a me sembra thrash metal, che buuu super noioso.
Rock rápido con guitarras contundentes y voz profunda. Lo he apreciado muy plano. Rockero, pero sin alma y cuerpo
Utter pish from start to finish, couldn't bear it.
OK, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Metal not really my genre but this galloped along and was a fun listen. Stupid for sure, but I digged the Satan stuff. Apparently this record was influential - it sounds like a parody of metal to me but I was down with it.
This album's confusing, the mixing is so muted, I really have to turn up the audio to hear it clearly, I liked the performances, but the weak production's really pulling it down for me.
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
cool
Rating: 7/10
Just not as good as the other metal I have listened to. Not a painful listen but just not that fun either.
Is this a Tenacious D album?
This shit sucked lmao
This was unintentionally hilarious, it's so Spinal Tap. I'm guessing this was the first in the genre? I actually like more modern black metal but this hasn't aged well. I especially found it funny that all the solos were standard rock and roll, clearly no one had taught them the evil sounding scales all metal bands use now
Vermakelijk, ik ben ooit vrijwel meteen weggelopen op Dynamo Open Air toen ze begonnen te spelen maar dat was vast vanwege de aankondiging: "And I bring you from the very depts of Hell... VENOMMM". Wel leuk dat het best rommelige metal is met wat hardcore/punk invloeden en een aardig hooligan-gehalte
Lay down your soul to the gods rock and roll! Zou het zo doen als dat de enige manier was om deze marteling te stoppen!
Dit zullen vast pioniers zijn geweest voor het genre, maar ik heb er echt helemaal niks mee.
k.. met p..... 20 seconden in het eerste nummer werd ik er al niet goed van. De rest heb ik niet eens geluisterd.
Metal nonsense!
A genuine rush. You could feel Venom know they're onto something new, fresh and exciting. This gallops gleefully along, giving no gucks and taking no prisoners. Great stuff.
15-year-old me would have *loved* these guys. As it is, I can totally hear the sound that influenced Metallica, Megadeth, and so many more.
Heavy metal is awesome but Venom has never done it for me. They got lucky in that they were one of the (if not THE) first bands to get really gritty. None of it is particularly good - it just plods along, a mix of noisy and boring. About the best I can say is that it influenced a lot of the more extreme end of metal, which I love. Within a year or two of this, Venom had been completely outclassed and made obsolete. Why the hell would you listen to this when 2 years later you can have ride the lightning? 2 points but I gotta grudgingly bump it up to 3 because it was so influential. 3/5.
Thrash Metal. No thanks
A bit old school for me. Vocals not the best
Pioneers, sure. But this really sounded like some high school kids flailing away. Yikes. Didn't even think of adding.
Well, I mean... It's definitely more thrash than black metal but it was early days and they sorta invented the genre so I'll cut 'em some slack. What I won't cut any slack on is the lazy, cheesy, try-hard, doom-cookie, "ooh aren't we so scary" lyrics. I was digging some solid shredding until I listened to the lyrics. So stupid. So very lame and stupid. Shame, really.
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
Terrible music but was quite funny and made me laugh. How many different ways can you say Satan is the boss on proto thrash sounds? One apparently, just keep repeating it!
Hilariously shit
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!
This has to be what parody metal bands use as inspiration. Extra points for giving me a good laugh!
reminds me of early metallica. don't like the lyrics much, but sound is okay.
There is good metal out there, and this didn't sound like it. Genuinely a slog to get through, from the bad production to the lead's vocals. The music itself was uninspired and bland at times, but ultimately the best part of the album. The music + the influence keeps me from giving this a 1. Like, I *get* why this is on the list, but really? Y'all couldn't pick a better representation? Also I turned on the lyrics because I was having a difficult time understanding and tbh I wish I hadn't done that.
6/10
I can understand why this is influential, but I think I'm all set
Decent album hampered by very poor production value
Nearly 70 albums in and I've managed to get by without any metal... until now. It was never going to be a big hit with me, and I can generally appreciate the influence these albums have had, but it didn't make this one any easier to get through. Everything about Venom's "Black Metal" is sloppy, from the hackneyed lyrics to the performance and production. There's absolutely no range to it, it's sludgy riffs caked in distortion, thrashy drums and endlessly bellowed vocals. It's hard to tell if this is Venom's intention, or they're taking their satanism and musicianship very seriously and just not landing it. It might feel spontaneous and on the fly, but so does a plane crash. The lyrics are unbelievably trite, "let's be edgy because we're a metal band" sort of material that ends up feeling eye-rollingly try-hard. Satan worshipping? Virgins bleeding? Ooh, you're hard. And then, in the middle of devil worshipping and the re-animated undead, comes "Teacher's Pet": a juvenile, graphic sexual fantasy that feels out of place even here. I cringed throughout the whole thing. "Bathory" and "Raise the Dead" were the only ones I could tolerate, and they're the best of a bad bunch. The last track, "At War with Satan", is a two minute preview of what would become a side-long epic on their next album, a bit like a post-credits tease. It's either a tantalising marketing move or just a lazy way to fill up space. Either way, it feels odd and closes things on a duff note with an abrupt fade-out. I'm not into metal in general, but I'm still glad I heard this effort from a band who were on the edge of the NWOBHM (an acronym I didn't know meant New Wave of British Heavy Metal until today- that's how little experience I have with the genre). This might have made it to 2* if it hadn't come up on a day I'm feeling lousy and hungover, as possibly the worst album I could have drawn. While I can appreciate its significance, it's almost certain I'll never seek out "Black Metal" again.
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