Search - Venom :: MMV (4CD)

Once Again, Venom Return

Edward J. Holmes | Demotte, Indiana United States | 11/24/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can hardly believe it! Never in my lifetime would I guess to witness such a grand occasion! A Venom box set is something I only dreamed of.

The box set itself is put together the same way as Motorhead's "Stone Deaf Forever." It is packaged in a sturdy box with a plastic inlay and each cd is in an individual jewel case. Also included is a reprint of an old poster and a great 60 page book full of rare photos, news paper and magazine clippings, discography and a revealing history of one of the world's most infamous bands. This Box will not dissapoint.

I highly recommend this set even to the most seasoned Venom fans. For one thing, the book is worth the money, in my opinion, and second, the 4th disc which contains all of the Venom "Assault" series. The only one that didn't make it was the Japanese assault.

This set was compiled by Cronos himself and I think he did a pretty good job putting it together. True, none of the music from "Prime Evil, Temples of Ice and Wastelands" made the set, but there is history written about it. Besides, the Cronos, Mantas and Abbadon trio was the best and everyone knows that! What I mean to say is that this box set has everything that counts. Within it's contents you will hear the music that Venom is known for. This is the type of stuff your parents did not want you to listen to. Venom is one of the best examples of how mean and ugly metal can be. They were like a greasy engine fuelled on the most potent of riffs. They gave no mercy and expected none in return.

The only gripe I have about this set is that there was no DVD included. The "7 Dates of Hell" video would have been the icing on the cake.

All in all, I was not dissatisfied with Venom's collection. If your into real heavy metal, this is for you!"

M O N E V

Draconis Blackthorne | The Haunted Noctuary | 02/09/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When most people think of Black Metal, corpse-paint and church burning Norwegians come to mind these days, but Venom really originated something unique for that genre, laying down the foundation for many imitators and admirers alike.... yet Venom manages to remain in a class all its own. Truly, the fore-fathers of Black Metal, a term non-existent before their emergence, who at least entertainment-wise, have given The Devil His due.



I recently had the opportunity to pick this up the other day, as it virtually stood out at Me from the display - emblazoned with a Baphomet and reptilian logo, this band remans an evocation, calling to mind psychodramatic memories, splendid theatrics of a marvellous Dantean spectacle, and some of the heaviest musick to date.



While not actual Satanists, Venom has served to veritably "open the gate" for diabolical expression in the Metal arena, and the degree of their sinister stage show remains unmatched, even comparable to KISS presentations.



MMV contains two decades of infernal evilution. Rare remixes, out-takes, interviews, rare singles, and live performance recordings are herein. A collection of which a member of 'The Legions' would have had to have incrementally possessed from obscure as well as international sources. Much of which I have had in My own private collection in one form or another {mostly cassette studio and radio recordings, and vinyl}, now all pleasantly acquired on CD. I was also quite pleased to discover the "7 Dates of Hell" poster included {now framed}, along with a lavish 59-page booklet including an original introduction by Cronos, many informational tidbits, print interviews, numerous news clippings, flyers, album art work, and rare photographs.



Disc 1 contains outtakes, demos, bonus tracks, and singles from 'Welcome To Hell, 'Black Metal', and 'Possessed'. The entire 'At War With Satan' album comprises disc 2, some inclusions from 'From Hell to The Unknown', radio / TV spots, and a studio interview. Disc 3 contains a combination of bonus tracks, live material, and outtakes from 'Calm Before The Storm', 'Prime Evil', and 'Cast In Stone'. Along with this splendid compilation, Disc 4 contains recordings from the legendary Hammersmith Odeon concerts, thusfar only available on 'The 7 Dates of Hell' and 'Alive in '85' VHS tapes, and portions from the various 'Assault' series, now all available on one CD.



The CD's themselves feature impressive renderings of each character of this infernal trinity poised within the customized Baphomet, including a horned, demon-winged, fanged Cronos in hellish rictus.



Distinct from the core releases, MMV is essentially a complimentary musickal accumulation of all those singles, rare picture discs, outtakes, and live recordings which complete the "Venomist's" nefarious compendium."

An Absolute Cronos-fest!

J. C Duval | cumberland, rhode island United States | 11/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This box set is the best comp of Cronos-era material out there! About a year ago, I reviewed the 2-disc "From Heaven To The Unknown" saying that that one was the best, and at the time, it was. That one is still the best for the money(it's a budget quality release). The only drawback is that this box set includes only material from the original trio of Cronos, Abbadon, and Mantas. That means their first four albums, stand-alone singles, the "Cast In Stone" album, and, of course, live stuff and demos. There is no Tony Dolan material here("The Collection" is still the best comp for that era), and nothing from either "Calm Before The Storm" or "Resurrection". That being said, buy this, or F.O.A.D.(when you hear the set, you'll know what that means!)!!!!!!!!!!!"