100 Miles to Hell

Dear Cronos,

I know that you have invented black metal, death metal and everything else between heaven and hell. That's one of the reasons why I am a Venom fan since I bought "At War With Satan" back in 1983 or 1984. I went with Venom through thick and thin. Cronos, you and me know that the history of the band has seen some lows and no, I don't speak of the albums with the Demolition Man. But I didn't care and I was finally rewarded by "From the Very Depths". A golden future seemed to be at hand. But now comes this EP... what can I say? It draws the shorter straw in each comparison. Let's put it in relation to...

..."Avé", the album of your former companions Mantas and Abaddon. Their debut under the banner of Venom Inc. presents some lively and some well-hung riffs and many good compositions that have an infectious effect. By contrast, "100 Miles to Hell" sounds anything but spectacular. The title track with its solid guitar work doesn't suck, but its mid-tempo and the conventional pattern fail to give it a special glitter. To add insult to injury, lyrical lines like "Lay Down Your Soul to Sell... 100 Miles to Hell" appear as a self-parody.

..."From the Very Depths", your last longplayer. The album had a lot of great tracks, but here we have rather cheap riffs and predictable configurations. Not to mention the fact that "We the Loud" annoys me, because its ending is much too long, repetitive and useless. Especially the moaning of your bass guitar gives the entire track an insubstantial touch. In view of such a pretty mediocre number, it is a cold comfort that the earthy production of "100 Miles to Hell" is more or less on a par with that of your formidable full-length from 2015.

...the fantastic Venom EPs from the early eighties. Songs like "Lady Lust", "Die Hard", "Seven Gates of Hell" or "Manitou" were true monsters, classics that have stood the test of time. But a track like "Beaten to a Pulp" has - in spite of its acceptable instrumental part - absolutely nothing that could create a comparable reputation. Its unimaginative chorus illustrates the lack of outstanding ideas most significantly. Speaking of unimaginativeness, please compare the covers of "100 Miles to Hell" and, for example, "Manitou". The visual difference in terms of originality could not be bigger - and the same applies for the musical content.

Cronos, my old hero, you, your seemingly undernourished guitarist and the long-haired animal behind the drums will have my solidarity eternally, because the name Venom has become a monument. (And please forgive me that I support Venom Inc. as well.) You lead one of the bands that accompany me since more than three decades. But it is a critical solidarity and as much as I regret it: this EP does not whet the appetite for a new full-length. With a great deal of good will, one can say that the three tracks keep the head above water. But that's all. I admit that Venom have returned from the dead many times. Outputs like "Prime Evil", "Cast in Stone" or "From the Very Depths" come to my mind. Nevertheless, what goes around comes around. Therefore, Cronos, consult Satan, invent the next music style, search for demo recordings from the early eighties with some great, never released songs or do whatever you want. But don't record "just another album" when entering the studio next time - I am curious whether you are able to regain your former strength. I hope so.

Sincerely yours, Felix 1666