Prime Evil

I can still clearly remember the day I bought this album. It was a Friday in 1989. Maybe the week had been really exhausting. Maybe this record made me forget the totally disappointing "Calm Before the Storm" and the half-baked "Possessed". Anyway, I liked this album with the unimpressive cover and the plain packaging immediately when listening for the first time to it.

Venom perform a high number of compelling pieces which are on a par with their classics. I confess that I had not expected such a strong result after the insignificant compositions of its predecessor. Admittedly, the album does not fall within the category "all killers, no fillers". Songs like the opener or "Carnivorous" are not quite up to expectation. Anyway, these acceptable tunes are just few minor flaws which do not affect the flow of the album or the very good overall impression. Thankfully, it can be noted that the vast majority of the pieces will inspire you. The well-constructed songs offer a high degree of variety and unpredictable musicality while avoiding any kind of dilettantism. Nonsense like "Aaaaaaarrghh" was apparently frowned upon - and that was good.

The gloomy "Blackened Are the Priests" represents the highlight. It starts with a monks´ choir that is followed by a malicious riff. The morbid aura captures you and gives you that special Venom feeling. Therefore, it was an ironic twist of fate that precisely this song was written by the new vocalist Tony Dolan. The mid-paced track culminates in a fantastic chorus before it is crowned by its intense ending. This arrangement contrasts with songs like the straightforward "Skeletal Dance" or "Insane" that put the focus on speed while offering brilliant riffs. The Sabbath cover "Megalomania" shows another facet of this line-up due to its fairly epic approach, the heavy riffing and the harsh bridge. It blends seamlessly with their own tracks and enriches the album.

All pieces are put in the right light. One cannot talk of an outstanding production, but the full-length is equipped with an appropriate sound. Contrary to their previous chaotic behaviour, the band members followed consequently a much more serious approach. They worked with high accuracy without creating a clinical or sterile atmosphere. Of course, the sound characteristics changed not least because of Dolan´s voice. But that was no problem. Quite the contrary, his powerful vocal performance was convincing in every respect. He made the right decision and did not try to copy Cronos. Apart from that, Venom had successfully built a bridge between their own glorious past and the present. This was most clearly shown with the final track called "Skool Daze". It constitutes the continuation of "Teacher´s Pet" without being focused only on humour. With regard to its pretty decent and coherent composition, it stands on its own. The same applies to the entire no-frills album which has stood the test of time in an admirable way. Thanks to its outstanding quality, Venom came slowly back on track.

Calm Before the Storm effectively ended the first of Cronos' eras with Venom. Alternately experimental yet lacking in overall consistency, Calm Before the Storm was a direction that Cronos knew could not be advanced any further within the confines of Venom. Cronos decided to take his leave from the group and start his own solo career.

Abaddon was determined to carry on the name. He managed to secure the "band" a contract with a new label using, ironically, Deadline-era demo recordings (which featured Cronos and Mantas) despite the fact that he was the only member of the band at the time. Needing to scramble a band together to get back into the studio and record what would become Prime Evil, Abaddon convinced Mantas (whose own solo career was a worthy but commercially underwhelming experiment) to return to the band. Mantas agreed on two conditions - rhythm guitarist Al Barnes (War Machine, who also played on Mantas' Winds of Change LP) and his friend and former Atomkraft bassist/vocalist Tony Dolan (Demolition Man) had to be allowed to join up. Abaddon, luckily for us, agreed.

Prime Evil, the resulting album, is THE great Venom release that no one much knows about. This is a much more lively and rejuvenated Venom, one that had not been heard since the At War With Satan days. Everyone fires on all cylinders. The production is probably the best the band ever had, although Resurrection comes close. The songs are all over the place and also among the band's best - Blackened Are the Priests is a fucking classic; if that bass solo in the middle doesn't repeatedly kick your ass, you are just not metal. Yes, I said it. It's so hard to pick a standout track on this album. Every single one of these tunes is a masterpiece of the highest order. Harder Than Ever is great fun; Venom's way of reminding us all not only that they were back but that they weren't about to slouch, either. Of course, School Daze fulfills the requirement for a mildly chauvinist number, and is good for a laugh to take us out of the record. Even the cover of Megalomania is cool, except for the fact that Mantas didn't know it was a Black Sabbath song...really, Jeff? There's a little bit of everything here - a little thrash, some speed, a bit of doom, and a fuck load of confidence and attitude.

The band sounds great on this record. Abaddon is his usual unpredictable drumming self, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Mantas and War Machine are a formidable two-headed guitar monster, interweaving amazing solos and runs along with some of the best riffs to ever find a home on a Venom LP. And then, there's the Demolition Man. When I was a younger Venom fan I never really appreciated Tony's gig with Venom. Youth is wasted on the young. Dolan is by far the DEMOFUCKINGLITION MAN on this record. His basslines are manic and unpredictable and his vocal style is completely unhinged. So, he wasn't Cronos. Big deal. Listen to this guy. You may not be able to replace Cronos but Tony was just as great in his own right.

Everyone who insists left and right that Venom isn't Venom without Cronos, get over it. This album can and WILL kick your ass and you know it. This is their best album since Black Metal, and they have not topped it since. Get this album by any means necessary. And one more thing, to close out the review...INTO THE FIYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

In 1987 Venom put out "Calm Before The Storm", an experimental but fairly decent record that saw the band heading in a more commercial route with a more traditional metal sound. Cronos left afterward to pursue a notoriously short-lived solo career, while back on the homefront, the core band unleashed this underrated little devil. The year 1989 saw "Prime Evil", an album with a sound taking the commercial route but with a more thrash-oriented approach settling the boys in with classic thrash acts of latter day. But does it hold up well to the black classics?

First off, the production is awful. Yeah I know how that sounds concerning Venom, but really. On "Welcome" or "Black Metal" the raw production added to the atmosphere (and even still voices and instruments were still fairly clear despite the mish-mashed quality), but here it doesn't sit well with me. Everything, while tolerable, is a bit muffled, particularly the Demolition Man's vocals. Oh, and what of then new frontman Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan (of the NWOBHM band Atomkraft)? He sits well with me, thanks very much. Just because he's not Cronos doesn't mean he sucks; haters get over yourselves. His style is good; he channels some Cronos-type growls and mixes them with Paul Baloff-sounding howls and screams, as well as traditional metal vox. His bass doesn't fare as well, getting lost in the production, but manages to come off strong enough anyway. Other new guy, and weakest link, Al "War Machine" Barnes is on guitar, 2nd to Mantas. He just isn't anything special; his riffing is dull and uninspired, and pales to Mantas' usual aggressive greatness, who on the other hand, shines as usual. Fellow veteran Abaddon rounds it out on the drums. His tenacious but cheeky "I don't give a fuck" attitude while pounding on the skins still makes him and underrated drummer, and one of my personal favorites.

The songs, for the most part, are bloody great. The whole record is consistently interesting and a fun listen. Some nitpicks though: I'm not crazy about cover songs unless they're done very well, and while the cover here of Black Sabbath's "Megalomania" is pretty good (think blackened and more up-tempo), I don't find it necessary. Even more unnecessary is the forgettable, overly fast cover of Venom classic "Live Like An Angel, Die Like A Devil"; what exactly was the point behind this? Another thing that drives me nuts are oddball fx-filled intros of songs like the radio static intro of "Into The Fire" or the incoming fax sounds opening the title track; another odd and unnecessary addition. But overall, most of the songs are a fun listen. The heavy aforementioned title track has good riffage and a catchy groove to it. Numbers like "Into The Fire" or the blazing "Carnivorous", while not terribly original, are so fucking fast that you just won't give a damn! Highly recommended is "Skeletal Dance" for its catchy chorus and some more groovability. A personal favorite is "Harder Than Ever", another really catchy, semi-anthemic song that probably sounds like if Kiss or Bon Jovi made honest-to-balls metal. Even then, they still probably could never touch Venom.

Overall, it's no classic, but "Prime Evil" is damn underrated and shouldn't be forgotten as one of the band's more obscure creations. Be a bit wary of the production and the unnecessary addition of a second guitarist, but have fun with the veterans, a damn fine replacement for Cronos and a (mostly) killer setlist.

Probably the only real gripe you can say about this album is that it isn't as classic as their first two albums, but having said that, Prime Evil is technically Venom's best album, at least performance wise. And with it coming out in the late 90's, you'd expect it to be overlooked, which it is, but even as godfathers' of the thrash scene, Venom absolutely blows away their offspring with this.

So Cronos isn't on vocals and bass? Well, instead we've got Tony Dolan, who proves to be a more than competent replacement. His bass lines are much more technical than Cronos' ever were, and musically correct at that. Vocally, Dolan delivers a menacing, dominating performance, sounding very similar to Cronos.

The music is much better composed, however it has a much stronger nod towards classic metal, rather than the raw, punk fueled metal that made Black Metal such a classic. This works both ways, obviously: on one hand, the songs are very coherent, very intense and technically perfect, but on the other, that nastiness was a trademark of Venom. But you've still got Abaddon's sloppy drumming, which though it never falls apart, when they pick up the speed, it feels like you're riding in a beat up old car that could collapse at any second. That gives the album a bit of a reckless feel, which I really like.

There are so many good songs on here. The title track fucking excellent, but the NWOBHM "Harder than Ever" really makes you want to throw you hand in the air and headbang. Great guitar solo in that one too. Most of the tracks are fast paced thrash numbers, like the absolutely maniacal "Insane," "Into the Fire," and "Carnivorous" but when they decide to slow it down on "Blackened Are the Priests," the atmosphere is intense and gloomy. The Black Sabbath cover is driving and powerful, a really good rendition, I must say. Amazingly, the worst track is the rerecorded "Live Like An Angel," which is sped up too much and loses its original charm.

Mantas' guitar work is really excellent all over the album. I didn't know how good of a guitarist he was until I heard Prime Evil. There are numerous melodies and soaring solos that instantly grab you, but never diminish the wickedness of the album. The nice parts might pop out very briefly, like shafts of sunlight through a stormy sky, but then Venom stomps on the accelerator and affirms the fact yes, this is still an evil album, and the malevolent riffing pulls you back in.

For 1989, this really gives the thrash genre a run for its money, surprising that Venom, who inspired the whole movement would dish out an album that would (in my opinion) overshadow the works of Megadeth, Testament and Slayer for that period. Seriously, this is better than So Far, So Good, So What, Practice What You Preach, and South of Heaven.

The worst thing that can happen to a group is when a singer leaves, especially when the singer was an original founding member and really aided to the groups unique sound, such as with Cronos. Only in a few instances does a singer change result for the better (Iron Maiden w/ Bruce Dickinson, Kamelot w/ Khan). Most end up mediocre or a disaster disaster (Accept, Maiden w/ Blaze). So was Venom with a new singer the train wreck as expected? I would have to say not.

Whats a shame is that most old Venom fans will go into the album Prime Evil with pre-conceived notions that the album will suck, or won't even listen to the album at all. This is a shame because frankly, Cronos wasn't Venom. He was only 1/3 Venom. Two founding members Mantas and Abaddon remained so all cannot be bad.

The new singer, Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan, though he might not have as unique or attitude filled voice as Cronos, but he does a commendable job. Frankly, I cannot think of one other singer out there that could have done as good of job filling Cronos's shoes.

Not only is the new singer decent, but so is the album. Most of you that heard the bands previous album Calm Before the Storm remember that the band was faltering with their identity and frankly, Prime Evil is a step back on track. The album, however, is taken more serious than the classic albums of the bands past. Though I love their first albums (Welcome to Hell through Possessed), the band with their outrageous image, over-the-top lyrics, and poor production habits always seemed to be a little tongue-in-cheek. On Prime Evil, however, the band seems to be taking themselves seriously. The songs, for the most part, are darker and serious, with out totally abandoning the Venom sound of the past. The production is also crisp and clear, far better sounding than anything the band has recorded in the past.

The album opens with the title track and it is probably the albums best known song, though I find it to be a decent song, it is far from the album's best. It's the intro to the song that becomes annoying as it sounds like a fax coming through your phone line. The next track Parasite, is much better. It's a faster, more aggressive track reminiscent of Venom of old. The third track Chanting of the Priest was actually written by Dolan and ends up being one of the albums best tracks. The songs begins with religious chanting and then the foreboding dark lyrics begin. Great song. The songs Carnivorous and Harder Than Ever are also two more great classic sounding Venom tracks. Skeletal Dance, Insane, and Into the Fire, though decent, are probably the albums weakest cuts. Megalomania is a is a major kick ass Black Sabbath cover. Some people complain that the band cut out the atmospheric intro to the song, but I was OK with it. They got write to the meat and potatoes of that classic Sabbath track that to my knowledge has never been covered by any other band. The album closes with the song Skool Daze. It is a follow-up to the classic Venom song Teacher's Pet and it continues the story of Mantas's teacher sex obsessed fantasies. The lyrics are hilarious. It is the only joke track on the disc. The CD version contains the bonus track Live Like An Angel - Die Like A Devil, which is a re-recording of the classic Cronos song. Some fans might find this blasphemous, but hey, its a bonus so get over it.

For those fans that are stiff minded that Venom is Cronos and only Cronos, then this review will not convince them. There is no changing their minds. If your a fan that is open minded but still have doubt that Venom can exist without Cronos, then make sure to pick up Prime Evil as you will find out that you cannot deny the the contributions Dolan made with the band. Prime Evil is a terrific album that deserves to be discovered.

Fuck all of you "anti-Dolan" bastards. This is a killer release, and you know it.
The production is damn solid, you can hear everything and the timbre is just perfect. The best production Venom had up to that point and possibly since.

Mantas returns to the fold (only because Dolan and he were friends and Tony convinced him to come back) and brings with him the Venom name, which I understand was his idea to begin with. Abbadon is as sloppy as ever, and if you listen to this one as much as I have you can hear some clumsy punch-ins here and there. The bass solos are fkn great (tell me that the bass solo on "Blackened Are the Priests" isn't one of the top 10 coolest Venom moments on record...you can't.) Dolan rips out his own lungs and shows them to you. Mantas does some of his career-best solos on this one. One half old chainsaw Jeff and one half "I really CAN play" Jeff on here. Dolan wrote more than half the songs on this record by himself, well before Jeff came back, so the quality is pretty damned high. Legend has it, actually, that the ever-smarmy Abbadon actually got a deal with Music For Nations using the demos from "Calm Before the Storm" even though it was just him in the "band" and neither Dolan nor Mantas were aboard when the contract was signed.

The bad? Well, "Megalomania" takes down this release for me by 20 points. However the cover of "Live Like an Angel" on the CD version (only, my LP does not have it) tacks on an additional 10. This song is just not very good. Apparently Abbadon convinced Mantas that this was an ORIGINAL as he had never heard the Sabbath song. Ouch. Lose 10 Metal God points there, Jeff. And, well, I don't like the "keyboard" interlude on the title track. The live version where Dolan plays a bass solo of the same melody makes more sense to me.

Mantas has apparently said that the only four Venom albums he considers up to snuff are "Welcome to Hell," "Black Metal," "Prime Evil" and "Ressurection." So there. Abbadon has also mentioned that if "Prime Evil" had come out right after "At War With Satan" things would have been huge.

Get it. You can spare the 7$ it will cost you new.

"How they writhe in pain! Padded room of doom, INSANE!"