Metal Underground.com

In 2014, Venom Inc. (If you’re late to the party, it’s the Cronos-less edition version of Venom) rose from the dead and began playing festivals and doing small tours, thus in turn celebrating Venom’s expansive catalog dating back to the early 1980’s of “black n’ roll” classics. Here we are three short years later and Mantas, Abaddon, along with Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan have released Venom Inc’s full-length debut album, “Ave Satanas.”

“Ave Satanas” is comprised of eleven, straight to the point, Baphomet-laden tracks. Does it sound like classic Venom??? Well…yes…in a way... The formula is there, but if you were hoping for a remake of any of Venom’s classic material, you’ll be disappointed. Your best bet is to accept the fact that it’s some 30 years later since their inception and Venom Inc. is its own band. I read a recent interview regarding the creation of “Ave Satanas” and Tony Dolan stated that there were some struggles in the creativity department when it came to keeping the sound relevant. I’d have to agree with that assessment.

I’ve been a passionate Venom fan since 1985, so reviewing “Ave Satanas” was a bit of a struggle. I like it, but do I love it? No, not really. I realize that this is a different band from the Cronos version, but at the same time, I was hoping for the bastard child of “Welcome to Hell,” “At War With Satan,” and “Black Metal.” But don’t fret, a couple of tracks have the essence of those classic albums, those being “Ave Satanas” and “The Evil Dead.” If there’s a song that would signal that Venom Inc. is heading the right direction mixing classic Venom in the modern world, it would be “Preacher Man.”

In summary, this is a “good” initial effort by Venom Inc. The Cronos version of Venom may have a step on this edition of the band, but Venom Inc. is sure to become the more raw version of Venom in due time.