Venom - Welcome to Hell
#641
By Rob Haneisen
Dec. 1, 1981
Venom
Welcome to Hell
Genre: Black metal
Allen’s Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Rob’s rating: 3 out of 5
Highlights:
Welcome to Hell
Poison
In League with Satan
Venom doesn’t mess around.
If you are looking for metal or rock that dabbles in the occult or hints at violent imagery, this is not the band for you.
If you want a band that showcases its musical talent, this is not the band for you.
Venom is to subtlety what a sledgehammer is to one of those little tiny rock hammers that geologists use to delicately separate gem stones.
“Welcome to Hell” is the first album from this British metal band that really opened the gates (of Hell?) to the black metal scene. This is fast, evil-sounding music with real evil backbone. It’s sludgy and sloppy at times – although that may have more to do with the recording quality and not the actual playing – and the songs follow a similar formula: Mix some Judas Priest guitar in with some Motorhead speed and rapid-rhythm and vocals screamed and yelled more than sung and you have Venom.
Oh yeah, and Satan. Lots and lots of Satan.
The opening line of the song “In League with Satan” kind of sums it up: “I’m in league with Satan/I was raised in hell.” And later in that song, “I bear the devil’s mark/I kill the new born baby/ Tear the infant’s flesh.”
Whereas Black Sabbath would have songs with occult themes, they were never outright adulation of the Dark One. Venom goes there and brings along plenty of misogyny and violence for good measure.
To me, the album really seems like it springs more from the hardcore punk scene than hard rock. It’s so fast and repetitive, and the vocal delivery is pure punk snarl.
“Welcome to Hell” is easily the best song on the album with its Priest-riffy opening. It hits the zone right away and just stays there.
“Poison” honestly reminded a bit of Motely Crue’s first album, especially “Live Wire” without Vince Neil’s voice.
“Witching Hour” goes a bit on the spooky side with a more haunted opening before galloping straight into the gale of drums and guitar. But as much as it aims to sound evil it kind of blows all that currency when the singer actually yells, “Boo!” in the middle of the song. I died laughing at that point and actually rewound the song several times just to make sure I was hearing it correctly. Yep, he says “Boo!”
When I saw the song title, “Angel Dust” I wondered if the song was going to be about the drug or about the cremated remains of holy entities. It’s the former and not without any regret.
“In League with Satan” is a marching orders song – it tromps along with a sing-along chorus of “’Cos I’m Evil, in league with Satan” that must have scared the crap out of some people. And the backward-masking opening is probably not intentionally funny, but it kind of is.
“Red Light Fever” and “Poison” are songs that simply verify that Satanists get horny too.
A few years later, Venom would attract the attention of bored Christian housewives masquerading as crusaders for the safety of children. The PMRC labeled a Venom song as one of its “Filthy 15” and thus ensured increased album sales. What a joke.
Venom’s importance is this: the more extreme branch of metal embraced by many Scandinavian countries in the next several years traces its roots directly to Venom. So too can Metallica, Megadeth, and especially Slayer.
I honestly thought I would like this album more, especially since I think Behemoth is amazing, but this album comes up a few devil horns short of awesome.
https://open.spotify.com/album/5oxowPycWCoLyE5nf0ZGmX?si=a3BxsCizRiiz_7R4oCvv2Q
