Report

Venom Inc. Silences The Critics In London With Krisiun, Hate And Ater

Band Photo: Hate (?)

Metal fans love two things; Metal, and complaining about metal. Whilst the genre has some of the most loyal and devoted fans, it’s nigh on impossible to go to a gig without hearing someone say “They used to be better” or “I only like their old stuff,” and when it comes to online interactions between fans, forget it. Since their inception, Venom Inc. has had to deal with such negativity and with the recent departure of guitarist Mantas, the naysayers rubbed their hands in glee. But it’s important to remember that they’re not, and never were, a tribute act. Venom Inc. write songs of their own in addition to playing older Venom material, mostly from the Demolition Man era, and so when the band announced their headlining tour of Europe, with a rich lineup of support acts, it was both a test to see who would put their conceptions aside, and an invitation to what promised to be a great night.

The London stop of the tour was held at the 229, a relatively small but decent venue named after their address on Great Portland Street. Opening the show was Chilean born trio Ater, originally from Santiago and now residing in the USA. Going on at six on a Monday evening is a tough ask for anyone, but for those who arrived early, they were able to witness something very different, and very interesting. There’s an air of mystery and enigma about them, and it’s difficult to pinpoint their sub-genre, if indeed there is one, which makes their material all the more intriguing. The music is extreme and confrontational, but very atmospheric and moody, helped in no small part by the lighting, something we take for granted as fans. Ater are best experienced for one’s self due to their challenging nature, and hopefully when they return to the UK, there’ll be a lot more people there to witness them. One to watch for sure.

Up next it was the turn of Polish blackened death metal band Hate, who only a few days ago released their latest album, “Bellum Regiis.” The album was alluded to tonight with the inclusion of the title track, while also including more recent favourites such as “Rugia,” “Sovereign Sanctity” and a truly excellent performance of “The Wolf Queen.” Hate cuts a striking presence, glaring out at the growing crowd adorned in corpse paint, while the stage was decorated with podium-esque microphone stands and skulls, creating a suitably dark atmosphere.

Frontman ATF Sinner is in fine voice as he bellows out such staples as “Erebos,” leading the quartet to sonic war as each member impresses with their precise playing. Hate made the odd decision in finishing their set with a new song, “Iphegenia,” before exiting the stage without bidding farewell, causing some confusion among the audience, particularly since an outro tape seemed to be playing for quite a while. Nonetheless, this was a performance full of intensity and more importantly, excellent music which will lure out more fans of the genre for a long time to come.

They say good things come to those who wait. Personally I’ve been waiting to see Krisiun since I was a teenager, (I won’t give away my age but think of Myspace and reality TV dominance if you want an idea of how long ago that was,) so when the Brazilian brothers rolled into the British capital, I was hellbent on finally catching them. Sure enough, the three musicians from Ijuí did not disappoint, focusing on what many consider to be their best album, “Conquerors Of Armageddon,” which turned twenty five years old recently, beginning with “Ravager” and then the closing track from said record, “Endless Madness Descends.” Of course, fresher material wasn’t ignored and the band dipped into their latest album, “Mortem Solis” and brought out “Necronomical” and “Serpent Messiah,” which were both received very well.

Throughout their set, frontman Alex Camargo made sure to thank the crowd for coming out, reiterating his belief that without the audience, there is no show, which was greatly appreciated. They were also met by typically intense Brazilian fans, who screamed “Brazil” as much as they did Krisiun’s name, which must be fun for the trio, whose audio assault saw them reach back for the title track of the “Scourge Of The Enthroned” album from 2018. More tracks were also dug up from “Conquerors Of Armageddon,” such as “Hatred Inherit” and the title track, before they bowed out with “Blood Of Lions.” This was the perfect mix of brutality and a positive atmosphere, which has no doubt kept the group going all this time. Superb.

After an international tour of metal, it was time for the Geordie born headliners. As mentioned, the trio has composed some stellar material across two albums and got the ball rolling with the opening track of their sophomore effort, “There’s Only Black,” which immediately got people moving. The excitement only grew as they progressed, launching into the excellent “War” from their debut, “Avé,” before returning to their latest record with “Come To Me.” It seems to be futile to resist these metal monsters as around the room, the crowd were moshing, head banging, playing air guitar and just generally having a blast, which only spurred the band on more.

Of course, there was no shortage of Venom oldies to enjoy, beginning with “Blackened Are The Priests,” from the first full length to feature frontman Tony Dolan, “Prime Evil,” which was revisited for a storming rendition of “Parasite” shortly afterwards. There was also a special guest to surprise fans, as fellow Venom alumni Al Barnes joined the headliners to perform “Temples Of Ice” and “Tribes,” both taken from their 1991 release of the former song’s name. Much like the Blaze Bayley era of Iron Maiden or Ripper Owens’ time with Judas Priest, these albums tend to be unfairly shrugged off or overlooked, but hearing them tonight, they sound absolutely magnificent and sit alongside the newer material very well. “Inferno,” “Ave Satanas” and “Infinitum” were some of the other Venom Inc. songs aired this evening, before the band wrapped up with classics like “Countess Bathory,” “Black Metal” and “In League With Satan.” If Venom Inc. are heading your way, put your prejudices aside and give them a chance. You might just be in for one of the best nights of the year!

Ollie Hynes has been a writer for Metal Underground.com since 2007 and a metal fan since 2001, going as far as to travel to other countries and continents for metal gigs.