Napalm Death’s Shane Embury is a musician who seemingly never rests! After spending the best part of four decades playing the earth-shattering bass in the world’s premiere Death / Grindcore band, he has also dabbled in a seemingly endless succession of side projects and guest appearances. In 2021 he created one of the albums of the year by returning to Blood From The Soul and bringing in Converge vocalist Jacob Bannon for the journey, and in 2022 he provided music of a more obscure and experimental electronic persuasion, with Dark Sky Burial.
And now he brings back Venomous Concept, for the fifth album under the moniker with former Brutal Truth vocalist Kevin Sharp, alongside Napalm Death guitarist John Cooke and drummer John Stokes, formally of death metallers Cancer. And the record is a real feel-good slice of punk metal with a strong nod back to the eighties US hardcore sound. The Good Ship Lollipop (Decibel Records) opens with one hell of a funky bassline on the title track and a stuttering guitar riff in the verse which goes full-on punk in the chorus, and with Sharp doing a mighty fine Rob Zombie impression on the mic.
That Zombie-esq sound to the vocals continues throughout, while his style also draws a strong comparison to a peak-era Cathedral’s Lee Dorian in places. The album rushes from one catchy three-to-four-minute song to the next and provides a lovely groove metal riff on ‘Time Line’, a Motörhead meets High on Fire kind of flavour on ‘Slack Jaw’ and ‘Can’t Lose’, and moments of nineties UK indie/alternative rock reminiscent of the likes of Therapy? and The Wildhearts on ‘Fractured’ and ‘Everything Is Endless’.
Punk music is the consistent thread that sows the influences together, where you can pick up shades of Sex Pistols on ‘Voices’, faster New York hardcore on ‘So Sick’, and final track ‘Life’s Winter’ which provides a real ode to the eighties sound of Black Flag, Minor Threat, and Bad Religion etc.
There are a succession of sumptuous guitar solos and leads scattered throughout, and some huge sing-a-long chorus hooks which will no doubt go down a treat in a small sweaty live venue!
Buy the album here:
https://store.decibelmagazine.com/collections/venomous-concept-db002
7 / 10
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