Because I first encountered black metal in bands like Emperor, Dissection, and Dimmu Borgir, to hear Venom lauded as the "founders of black metal" is a bit odd. Venom sounds nothing like what black metal is today. They hardly sound like any kind of modern extreme metal. But for 1981, this was THE standard for extreme. Rawer than Motorhead, more evil then Iron Maiden, louder than Black Sabbath...this broke new ground when it was released. The world had never before heard anything so primal. If someone from today were to listen to it, they might laugh it off as second-rate Slayer or a weak version of Bathory...but you have to remember that this was one of the sources of inspiration for both of those bands! Venom had been toiling in the underground since the late seventies, and so had developed quite a following. It's hard to believe that this album spawned pretty much everything I listen to today. Honestly? For this style, I like Motorhead better. And for "black metal," I like the modern Scandinavian scene better.
