Venom Inc / Devastator / Imperium - Sheffield Corporation

Imperium

The metal bands in the UK are now so good that going to any given show will pretty much guarantee that you see something heavy and well executed. None more so than with Imperium who get things going with their crushing brand of melodic thrash. Since releasing their debut single Here Comes The Night in 2020 the band has continued to build momentum and climb the thrash ladder with a handful of EPs and other singles, that whilst being influenced by the classic sounds of Metallica, Anthrax, Testament et al, have a more modern and sophisticated sound.

Singer Ben Porter’s commanding stage presence and strong voice get the crowd going early here and there are soon some enthusiastic punters throwing themselves around in the pit. The quality of the musicianship with a band like this is evident as well as the sheer heaviness and intensity. By the 2nd song ‘Capable of Murder’ we get to hear complex solos from lead guitarist Hardip Sagoo. Apart from two, all songs showcased here are taken from the upcoming debut album entitled ‘Exodus Unknown’. Musicianship is another level again, with the title track giving us a taster of what’s to come on one of the most anticipated releases of the summer – July 17th on Heavy Metal Records.

Devastator

Just as intense and crushing, although a different type of band are Devastator from Derbyshire who launch into an assault of what people have described as “blackened thrash” or “black and roll” with faces of the members daubed in red and black face paint as though it’s some kind of demonic carnival. Wildly ferocious, unrelenting and more raw than Imperium with the rasped vocals, it’s possible to hear the influences in the sound all the way back from early Venom and Motörhead, through speed metal like Slayer and also early black metal and crust punk. As soon as we are into 2nd song Walpurgisnacht there is no let up in speed and intensity for the next 2 songs as the crowd gets livelier.

After Slayer-esque Worship The Goat is the slower stomp of Liar in Wait but this is brief before the barrage of speed and brutality continues. What is quite remarkable here is that in addition to the onslaught, we are treated to several insane guitar solos or dual solos in some of the songs such as in Spiritual Warfare and closer Baptised in Blasphemy, which are played in a major key, and so the whole thing reaches a form of jubilant savage ecstasy. Singer Tom Collings concluded the proceedings by scanning the room and pointing out either existing disciples or the newly baptised who have become firmly entranced and appreciative of what has unfolded.

Devastator were the perfect support for Venom Inc – a match made in Hell.

Venom Inc

If you ask a hundred thrash or black metal bands who influenced them during their formative years, you’ll hear the name Venom come up an awful lot. Tony ‘Demolition Man’ Dolan filled the void left when Cronos’ left Venom in the late 80s, and during what fans refer to as the ‘Prime Evil’ period of the bands timeline, they released several records with a fresh energy; Dolan never happy to be ‘just the other guy’, and keen to forge a reputation of his own.

With such a wealth of material to draw from, the Venom Inc setlist was always going to be interesting. All three periods are represented here, some classic old school Venom, some Dolan-era Venom, and a hefty dose of his main band Venom Inc – who have released two XX records to date.

The lights drop, and we kick off with the latter. After the calm tranquil intro, Ave Satanas detonates proceedings, then without pause we get War and There’s Only Black. 2017 album ‘Ave’ also featured Mantas and Abbadon (Venom’s original bassist and drummer) and is an excellent standalone metal album irrespective of the context of the band’s history. Tony is his usual high energy, punchy self. He is flanked by Curran “Beleth” Murphy on guitar and Marc “JXN” Jackson on drums, who do a cracking job of playing technically well whilst preserving the classic vintage legacy and vibe that the songs demand.

What follows is a sledgehammer of blackened metal, punctuated by some typical Geordie banter. The middle of the set is dominated by Venom Inc originals, with ‘Preacher Man’ being a standout track, as well as one of my personal favourites. Curran Murphy’s guitar work is precise as it is brutal, and even though he’s relatively new to the band it feels like a seamless fit. Tony cracks open a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, chucks away the lid, and after having a chug on it himself, passes it into the crowd. He announces that we have a guest vocalist for the next one…bring back Tom from Devastator for some guest vocals, for the classic Venom track ‘Bloodlust’, with Tom doing a cracking job with Cronos’ iconic intro “Come On, Turn It Uuuuuuuup!!!”. The crowd goes mental.

The next was something very special indeed… a Motörhead cover… dedicated to the recently departed Phil Campbell ‘The Hammer’. Motörhead and Venom’s music has been intertwined, and this is a classy nod to Lemmy & Phil.

Time for the set closer, and it’s the song that spawned a whole genre… Black Metal. Fists and beers are raised in the air as they deliver an uncompromising rendition of the classic.