Heavy Maytal -Venom : "Into Oblivion"

The 16th album in the career of this project, which now counts Cronos as the sole original member. Things have not changed a great deal thanks to Cronos's voice that finds him belting it out with the same throaty zeal that drove their earlier. In fact, this album is more metal and less punk than what people would call Venom's most classic work. There is more of a thrashing feel to "Lay Down Your Soul".  They hammer at you with the intensity of a Motorhead song. It's catchy enough even at this amped up speed. There is more of a gallop to "Nevermore" which works well; in fact, it's the best of the first three songs. 

There is a more overt metal sense to the riffing that was not in the band's classic work, but it's pretty effective and sounds relevant in 2026. "Man & Beast" should please most headbangers, but the punk rock side of their older fan base is not going to be into this, but oh well, it sounds fucking good to me. Though "Death the Leveller" is closer to their more punk side, as a whole, this album reclaims their place in the classic metal hall of fame. 

"As Bove So Below" gallops into darker regions draped in their pseudo Satanic musings whih are entertaining but not something I am going to stake a seriously as I did as a teenager. There is a faster thrashing to "Kicked out of Hell" that is not as effective as what they did on the previous song. "Legend" is darker and more epic, with a more deliberate stomp that brings Celtic Frost to mind. "Live Loud" works of a similar but more driving chug. The drummer proves himself to me on this song. You can't ignore the palm-muted chug to "Metal Bloody Metal" at the very least carries echoes of White Zombie. But it still works. The drumming on "Dogs of War" helps to seal the deal. 

"Deathwitch" is pretty powerful and heavy enough to punch above its weight class. These guys were once considered to be on the heavier side of the genre when they came on the scne but now, as times have changed, their earlier albums are more middle of the road, so this album shows where they stand in today's metal world. There is a creepier atmosphere, thanks to the subtle use of synths on the last song, which helps to create a more sinister mood.  I will round this album up to a 10 as it makes me a fan again, and Cronos is bringing the legacy of this band back to where it needs to be. Fans of metal should give this album a shot, it's impressive. and exceeding my expectations. Dropping on Noise Records.