Superb raw sound (Welcome To Hell - Venom)

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Welcome To Hell - Venom
Date:	01/10/08 (56 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent inventive record

Disadvantages: Tinny noise, badly produced, sloppy at times

Welcome to Hell is a superb debut album by Venom. Released in January 1981 on Neat Records, it brought a whole new meaning to heavy metal as this Newcastle NWOBHM band produced the hardest album with the darkest material to date at that time.

Even now, it doesn't sound tame and still comes across as hard albeit incredibly raw. The producing is poor and the musicians are quite sloppy at times but this just adds to the devil spawn that is Welcome to Hell.

This album is often described as the first Black Metal album (although the band's 2nd album coined the term) but where it betters later albums is that it has catchy punk elements to the music and lyrics worthy of Motorhead when they are on top form. Despite the dubious musicianship on the album, the riffs and choruses in particular are so catchy that they are very memorable and easy to sing along to..

"Welcome to Hell", "Schizoid" and the chanting type track "In League with Satan" are all incredibly catchy tunes but it's "Poison" which I find an infectious cracker of a song that speeds along at a hell of a pace.

The album comes in different versions, the original only consisted of 11 tracks but the 2002 version contains 11 bonus tracks and that's the copy that I currently have. If you thought that the 1st 11 tracks were "made in a garage" then the latter 11 tracks were probably made in a bathroom... it's interesting listening to these rejected versions and B-sides to singles as they are pretty good "Raise the Dead" and "Bitch Witch" are my particular favourites for the sheer energy put into them.

Track listing (borrowed from Wiki)

1. "Sons of Satan" - 3:38
2. "Welcome to Hell" - 3:15
3. "Schitzo" - 3:34
4. "Mayhem With Mercy" - 0:58
5. "Poison" - 4:33
6. "Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil)" - 3:59
7. "Witching Hour" - 3:40
8. "One Thousand Days in Sodom" - 4:36
9. "Angel Dust" - 2:43
10. "In League With Satan" - 3:35
11. "Red Light Fever" - 5:14

All tracks composed by Bray/Dunn/Lant

Bonus tracks in 1985 re- release by Combat

12. "In Nomine Satanas" - 3:28
13. "Bursting Out" - 2:56

All tracks composed by Bray/Dunn/Lant

[edit] Bonus tracks in 2002 re-release by Castle Music/Sanctuary Records Group

12. "Angel Dust (Lead Weight version)" - 3:03
13. "In League With Satan (7" version)" - 3:31
14. "Live Like an Angel (7" version)" - 3:54
15. "Bloodlust (7" version)" - 2:59
16. "In Nomine Satanas (7" version)" - 3:29
17. "Angel Dust (Demo)" - 3:10
18. "Raise the Dead (Demo)" - 3:29
19. "Red Light Fever (Demo)" - 4:51
20. "Welcome to Hell (Demo)" - 4:57
21. "Bitch Witch (Outtake)" - 3:08
22. "Snots Shit (Outtake)" - 2:06

All tracks composed by Bray/Dunn/Lant

Summary: Love it!