VENOM - Welcome To Hell

You know, alot of people always say that the biggest joke in modern metal is Manowar, with their 'manly' Conan-inspired get-up and their songs praising the Norse gods and condemning poseurs.

These people have never heard of Venom.

Venom are, without a doubt, the BIGGEST joke in the history of heavy metal. They are to 70s/early 80s Euro-metal what Nitro were to late 80s hair bands: Take every single stereotype of their particular subgenre and take it to surreal and illogical extremes.

And I don't think Venom ever did this better than with their debut, Welcome to Hell.

First things first. The production is BAD. I mean really REALLY BAD. Bad as Hellhammer? No, worse. The entire album sounds like they're playing into a microphone hidden in a sewer pipe. It's almost punkish sounding. The drums are muffled, the guitars are foggy, and Cronos's voice echoes....and not intentionally.

Now, remember what I said about these guys taking the stereotypes of 'satanic' rock n' roll and taking it to extremes? Well, there really is no other way to describe the content of this album. All of the things that fundamentalist Christians have screamed and ranted about for over half a century is present here, in spades. Evil sounding guitars, insipid satanic lyrics, (fake) back-masking, devil-worshiping image, etc. It's all here.

That's all well and good, except that these guys sacrifice musicianship for the sake of the gimmic. There is no musical progression or diversity, period. All of the tunes are so similar that they eventually run together. The drums are extremely primitive, and the guitars and bass never progress beyond the basic three-chord minimum.

Then the lyrics. Oh my sweet satan, the lyrics. Look, the fact that the lyrics reek of Satan worship doesn't bother me. There have been bands in the past whose lyrics are loaded with occultism (such as Mercyful Fate and Morbid Angel) who are both great musicans and extremely versatile, and whose lyrics can actually be intresting. But this stuff? It's just cartoonish. This is the type of stuff you'd expect from some no-talent screen writer living in a shack in West Hollywood. I can understand the fact that this was back in the early 80s and that these guys were blazing new trails....except that they weren't. Black Sabbath had been doing this for over ten years already, and much better. This stuff? Garbage, utter garbage.

So.....am I saying that this album should be completely passed up and left in semi-obscurity?

No, believe it or not.

This album, for all of its flaws (and their are many, MANY flaws), is still a very important part of heavy metal history. This album has influenced thousands upon thousands of bands since it's release. Everyone from Metallica, to Celtic Frost, to Mercyful Fate, to Mayhem, and many others have been influenced by this thing.

Furthermore, if you ever feel guilty or scared about the lyrics, remember this: It's all a big joke. Cronos himself has gone on record a zillion times saying that they're more of a parody than anything. They have also publicly distanced themselves from the bastard child subgenre they inadvertedly gave birth to afterwards.

Plus, the music CAN be kinda catchy, it just takes a while.



I give this album two and a half demon-possessed smileymen out five.
1/2:twisted:

Welcome to Hell is an awesome album. But I won't say you are wrong with your points. But you should look a little deeper and see that behind the goofy gimmick, is a band that has real talent. Sure this debut is campy as hell, but that's what makes it fantastic. Listen to Venom's Resurrection album and you wouldn't believe it's the same band. (with different drummer of course)

I havn't listened to that album since around 84' or 85'.

Quote :

Then the lyrics. Oh my sweet satan, the lyrics. Look, the fact that the lyrics reek of Satan worship doesn't bother me. There have been bands in the past whose lyrics are loaded with occultism (such as Mercyful Fate and Morbid Angel) who are both great musicans and extremely versatile, and whose lyrics can actually be intresting. But this stuff? It's just cartoonish. This is the type of stuff you'd expect from some no-talent screen writer living in a shack in West Hollywood. I can understand the fact that this was back in the early 80s and that these guys were blazing new trails....except that they weren't. Black Sabbath had been doing this for over ten years already, and much better. This stuff? Garbage, utter garbage.

I've not been a big Venom fan since the 80's. I don't hate them, and actually enjoy some stuff by them. I have a few songs on my Ipod. However, their lyrics don't do much for me either. Therefore, I don't necessarily disagree with your points.

However, I do disagree with saying that "Black Sabbath had been doing this for over ten years already, and much be". To the contrary, if you read Sabbath's lyrics, especially the early stuff, it was warnings "against" Satanism, the occult, etc. As a matter of fact, many of those early songs had Christian leanings to them. A song like "Black Sabbath" or especially "After Forever" were very blatant.

Quote :

After Forever
Black Sabbath

Have you ever thought about your soul - can it be saved?
Or perhaps you think that when youre dead you just stay in your grave
Is God just a thought within your head or is he a part of you?
Is christ just a name that you read in a book when you were in school?

When you think about death do you lose your breath or
Do you keep your cool?
Would you like to see the pope on the end of a rope
Do you think hes a fool?
Well I have seen the truth, yes Ive seen the light and Ive changed my ways
And Ill be prepared when youre lonely and scared at the end of our days

Could it be youre afraid of what your friends might say
If they knew you believe in God above?
They should realize before they criticize
That God is the only way to love

Is your mind so small that you have to fall
In with the pack wherever they run
Will you still sneer when death is near
And say they may as well worship the sun?

I think it was true it was people like you that crucified christ
I think it is sad the opinion you had was the only one voiced
Will you be so sure when your day is near, say you dont believe?
You had the chance but you turned it down, now you cant retrieve

Perhaps you'll think before you say that God is dead and gone
Open your eyes, just realize that heis the one
The only one who can save you now from all this sin and hate
Or will you still jeer at all you hear? yes! I think its too late.

Welcome To Hell is a stone cold, bonafide, stupid-as-Hell-but-stupid-on-purpose-so-it's-OK classic.

I like some of the earlier Venom stuff. I'm not a die-hard fan but I liked that reckless punkish vibe to their earlier albums.

is this a review of Welcome to Hell? if so, it should be moved to the proper area.

i agree with Freddy though.

The title track is a NWOBHM classic IMO, despite the lyrics.

Favorite Venom tracks, "Manitou", "Warhead" and "Acid Queen".

Manitou and Warhead are 2 of my top five favorite Venom songs.

Venom was a real 'had to be there' type of band. I can still remember being buying their Possessed album at 14 and thinking how diabolicaly evil these guys were. Of course now it just seems tongue-in-cheek which is what it really was.

They were terrible musicians and relied on hype more than anything else, but they were also the first to really start pushing limits and peoples buttons, gotta love em just for that.

Nice album review

Some of my favorite Venom tracks are Manitou, Warhead, Teacher's Pet, and Too Loud For The Crowd.

I personally love Venom

Venom is a joke. Talentless hacks. Real life Spinal Taps. A parody unto themselves. But for some reason, I really like Cronos' solo stuff. A bit hypocritical, I guess. I don't like strawberries, but love strawberry jam.

Love nearly all VENOM albums and i dont think they were or are a joke. MANOWAR is no joke to me either. They always had a sence of humor but not more then that. They believe in what they are doing (specialy MANOWAR) and thats what i respect.
VENOM AND MANOWAR FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Venom's first four albums, great stuff.

I've had the album since high school and still play it once in a while. Despite it's flaws, I still enjoy it.

TrogDawn wrote:

Angelcake Adonisus Fox wrote:

You know, alot of people always say that the biggest joke in modern metal is Manowar, with their 'manly' Conan-inspired get-up and their songs praising the Norse gods and condemning poseurs.

These people have never heard of Venom.

AACK! I'll take VENOM over MANOWAR any day.

me too, but i still like some early Manowar albums.

I loved VENOM when I was younger. But I only liked their material from 81's Welcome To Hell up through 87's Calm Before The Storm. The first 3 were my favorites back then. After I became a believer, I gave 'em up. I haven't listened to them regularly since the early to mid-90's. I always liked what Abaddon said on the Ultimate Revenge video. Something to the effect of..."Cronos may not be the best bassist, I may not be the best drummer, etc., but together we're a powerful unit." He summed up the very reason that I love a lot of simple bands. Technicality doesn't necessarily make better music. VENOM really appealed to me back then because they were raw.

I had all their stuff on vinyl back then, including some 12" singles and a couple of rare 7" picture discs. When CARCASS played Raleigh in '93, I got Mike Hickey to autograph Calm Before The Storm.

As much as I like them though, I have to say they sucked live. Abaddon was so off it sounded like he was playing a different song sometimes

I have a "best of" comp that I break out from time to time, but I was never inclined to seek out any other material.

Why do so many christians pretend to not like Venom for the music?

Muloc7253 wrote:

Why do so many christians pretend to not like Venom for the music?

Can you point out who is pretending? I'm curious.

DeathCult wrote:

As much as I like them though, I have to say they sucked live. Abaddon was so off it sounded like he was playing a different song sometimes

Abaddon has long been considered the 'weak link' in Venom. Cronos and Mantas may not have been virtuosos but they could play their instruments well enough to get by, but Abaddon was supposedly pretty incompetent. I remember reading some interviews with Cronos after Venom's initial breakup where he bashed on Abaddon pretty badly.