VENOM – Whoa. Check out (above) that cool front cover for my issue of Zero Tolerance. This is the December 2011/January 2012 issue – #44. Cronos, the legendary classic member, bassist and vocalist of Venom gives one hell of an interview in this issue. After reading this interview, I really admire the up-front nature of Cronos. He tells it like it is. Old school is Cronos and his band Venom is back like a pit viper!
This leads me to the most recent Venom release…
Fallen Angels. The 13th album overall from Venom, Fallen Angels was released back on November 28th, 2011, via Spinefarm Records / Universal. I actually won this CD you see above from a bet I made with Best Metal Buddy Scott Coverdale. What was the bet? It was a “straight-up” bet that my beloved New York Giants would defeat the hapless New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. My NY Giants won, 21 to 17. Thank you, Coverdale!
What an album Fallen Angels is. This is as rabidly potent a Venom lineup as there has ever been, (with no insult to the classic Venom lineup of Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon). No studio trickery. No bullshit. Just F’n old school Metal, the way it was meant to be played and heard… courtesy of Venom.
Here is the back cover of Fallen Angels:
And now, I’ve saved the best for last…
How influential and pioneering is this Venom debut! Welcome To Hell was released back in 1981, via Neat. I’ve had this cassette version of Welcome To Hell for a very, very long time. This debut from Venom is 100% Metal history 101, my Metal brethren!
So many genres of Metal can thank Venom for their establishing such a raw & speed driven sound; establishing this sound so early on during the NWOBHM movement. Venom paved a Metal path for countless Thrash and Black Metal bands; it’s nearly mind-boggling to grasp.
See for yourself, how Venom is misspelled on this cassette’s spine. It reads: Venon. Who the hell was dumb enough to misspell Venom this way? Whoever was responsible for this printing error was obviously a constipated poser and a turd. Blasphemy!!
Maybe this “Venon version” of Welcome To Hell is worth a blackened fortune? I just don’t know. I’ll never part with this cassette anyways, unless someone offers me six figures for it.
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The track listing on this 1981 cassette version of Welcome To Hell:
SIDE ONE
Sons Of Satan
Welcome To Hell
Schizo
Mayhem With Mercy
Poison
Live Like An Angel (Die Like A Devil)
SIDE TWO – SIDE METAL
Witching Hour
One Thousand Days In Sodom
Angel Dust
In League With Satan
Red Light Fever
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This cassette was “Made In Italy”. Below is a view of the actual cassette with the full cover:
Old School Metal Rules. Old School Venom Rules. Venom 2012 Rules. Cassettes Still Rule, Here At Metal Odyssey.
METAL BE THY NAME.
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* For more info on VENOM, click on the link below!
LONG LIVE VENOM.
Stone.
Metal Odyssey > Heavy Metal Music Blog 
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