Tonight sees the Underworld almost transform itself into a time machine as Venom Inc. (the band featuring original Venom members Mantas and Abaddon with ex-vocalist and bassist Tony 'Demolition Man' Dolan) are in the capital exhuming material exclusively from the first five Venom albums (presumably a retort to the Cronos-led official Venom band who keeps releasing new material and avoids playing some of the lesser known classics live). Support comes from Polish death metallers Vader who are concentrating solely on demo material and songs from debut full-length 'The Ultimate Incantation' to coincide with the re-release of their demo efforts.
Although they were in the capital earlier this year, Vader's appearance still succeeds in packing out the venue, largely with the cooperation of the capital's steadfast Polish community. They launch into a burly attack of death metal infused with a formidable thrash metal heart – somewhere between a clash of Deicide and Slayer. Drums are persistent and adopt stripped-down headbanging rhythms while guitar riffs are razor sharp with whammy bar solos. Hauling selections from 1988 – 1992, the Poles execute tracks still aired on the live front today such as 'Dark Age' and 'Reborn in Flames' alongside other numbers never played beyond the borders of their home country like 'TyraniPiekiel' and 'TrupiJad', the latter dedicated to the loyal old school Polish fans in attendance. While the audience reaction in the pit is certainly voracious and Vader's set itself is savagely entertaining, tonight's performance is not particularly different from most others they do. Indeed they are circling around just their oldest material but they are an act that have never strayed away from their honed sound, marking their setlist choice as one more for the benefit of die-hard fans.
With Cronos' Venom last sighted in the capital in 2006, there is an appetite for these headliners with expectations for Venom Inc. high albeit pensive. After all, Cronos' personality as the voice of Venom is an identity that has expanded in very recent years with Venom attaining a younger demographic for a fanbase. Opening with the Venom song 'Prime Evil' from the Cronos-free album of the same name, the trio kick-start proceedings with heavy metal vigor, inspiring a peppy mosh pit into explosion. Retreating to the more recognisable anthems from 'Welcome to Hell' and 'Black Metal' secures a more overriding response from the crowd as the likes of 'Die Hard', 'Don't Burn the Witch' and 'Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)' are barked out, vocalist Demolition Man doing a proficient job as a substitute Cronos.
The Englishmen's precise subgenre of metal has always been a point of contention among metalheads, an approximation of sinister heavy/thrash with hints of proto-black metal that would influences innumerable bands. The music is straightforward but with a reckless attitude, catchy with choruses that invite even those new to the band to roar along. 'Bloodlust', 'Welcome to Hell' and 'Raise the Dead' are favourites breathed into the Underworld and secure savage applause from the heated venue. But the song with the most mammoth mosh pit is of course 'Black Metal', the track singlehandedly responsible for the infamous eponymous subgenre's name. When this song dies down, the band immediately walks away from the stage but the audience resolutely remain and are rewarded with the outstanding 'Countless Bathory' that storms through the venue and takes no prisoners. The night is concluded by a punctuating rendition of 'Witching Hour' and effectively wraps up the perfect sermon of '80s satanic metal. There will be those who argue about the authenticity of a Venom incarnation omitting Cronos but Cronos was never in Venom for all of their existence and with two original members (one more than the current Venom), Venom Inc. retain a right to play these barnstormers to intimate venues to fans who may not get the opportunity to hear these heavy metal classics otherwise.
FUTURE GIGS
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