La morsure du temps

As token redemption fodder for Aix-en-Provence, France's Venin (i.e. Venom) is this compactfully sanguine opinion piece heralding, however sheepishly, the reformed quartet's long-suffering and overlooked - yet certainly not overcooked - full-length debut offering, La Morsure du Temps ("The Bite of Time") released on CD in early 2018 under self-propagated, one-off record label, Grumpy Mood Records -- named, potentially, out of umbrage incurred by some cynically acerbic essay espousing salubriously sarcastic summations surrounding said Southern salutary send-off, from 1986.

(Where's that antidote, already?!)

In a sentence or less, La Morsure du Temps readily kicks ass; especially, now, in the leads department. Most assuredly, frontman/ax man Jean-Marc Battini (ex-Marécage, ex-Silence) and equally stalwart cohort Fabrice Baud evoke telltale, killer likes of Slash-styled pentatonic mnemonics, whilst, in tandem with a meatily clouting, albeit loose, rhythm section comprised of bassist Fabienne Perrio and fellow post-Marécage drummer Vincent Boetto, gingerly bringing to poisoned mind fellow French worthies Attentat Rock, H-Bomb and High Power, to name-crop a select few.

(Even salient and soft humdingers "Guet-apens" i.e. Ambush and "Souviens-toi de moi" - Remember Me - languidly enter the fray with soulful demarcation which eventually plains, majestic-like, thus easily eschewing any type of broadband filler, or congenital generosities.)

To be sure, opener "Trafiquant de Rock" wastes no "time" (f)laying past mishaps to the wayside, even remitting itself over such anachronistic flops/whimsy as the long-past self-titled EP's "Femme de la Nuit" (a morbidly awkward piece of one-off ribaldry best forgotten). Again, the guitar solos rip fast, furious and full-some, at times employing slickly toxic wah-wah'isms; stunningly so, up until the following cathartic missives, which include another super bluesy hit in the slowly deployed but provocatively listenable, above-mentioned "Guet-Apens" - it truly lives up to its name, thrills-wise - and/or the "Sweet Child O' Mine" reminiscent title track, as much for its overall coming-of-age vibe as vivid leads.

Every single track, be they warmly inflected, bona fide rockers in the vein of rampant "La Nuit Des Fous" or grouchy and extensive, most metal-esque, seven minute short "Les Torments", features wickedly phrased, carefully enunciated AND differential soloing, while the production, although almost pristine in its crystalline sheen, habitually favours both high end registries, as well as level-headed, yet fully heard and resounding, battery.

In a pêle-mêle nutshell, Venin, following pair of admittedly tepid EP back in the 80s, has awesomely rounded the bend with La Morsure du Temps, a career pinnacle if there ever was. Plus, the vocals are so darn clear-cut and understandable, even for a Quebecois "paysan" such as myself, that whether or not you're fluent in la langue de Molière, can't seem to recommend this enough.

"Ton Passé est gravé te souvient tu des risques
Tu avais tout vendus pour faire ton premier disque
Grace a ce sacrifice t'as pu sortir du noir
Au bout de tant d'années tu as connu la gloire"