VENOM – Into Oblivion

Not to be confused with Venom Inc., British black metal band Venom has made a triumphant return with their 16th studio album, Into Oblivion (2026). It is the follow-up to Storm the Gates (2018). “Triumphant” is used lightly in this case because, well, let’s get to that later! The lineup that plays on Into Oblivion includes Conrad “Cronos” Lant on bass guitar and lead vocals, Stuart “Rage” Dixon on guitars, and Danny “Danté” Needham on drums. It is the longest-standing lineup the band has ever had, at 17 years total. Venom aimed for a combination of their classic ‘80s sound and a more modernized, progressive approach without losing their fire that lifted them to prominence during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Venom sounds like an abrasive, evil-sounding version of AC/DC with simple choruses, beefy guitars, frantic riffs, and straightforward instrumentation. At times, it’s too straightforward because of the lack of distinction between certain songs (“Nevermore” and “Deathwitch”), but the overall vibe of the album is awesome!

Into the Chaotic Unknown

The title track incorporates speed metal with death metal, and it’s got a doomy guitar riff. The jarring and catastrophic atmosphere kicks off the album with a bang! “Lay Down Your Soul” has a call-and-response format for the chorus that is very repetitive and frustratingly annoying. However, the impeccable guitar solo saves the song from being trash. “Man & Beast” is the most fun song on the album because of its steady beat, chugging guitar riff, and sing-along chorus. It’s a headbanger for sure! “Death the Leveller” is a thrash metal monster with screaming vocals, pounding drums, and little melody going on, yet it works. Well, it works in Venom’s case, at least.

“Kicked Outta Hell” has some nasty instrumentation going on and it’s pretty obvious why the band was kicked out of hell. “Dogs of War” is the shortest song on the album at 2:03, but it gets the job done. It’s a really cool song with a doomy atmosphere and a thunderous groove. “Unholy Mother” closes the album in an evil, yet delightful way. It’s a slow headbanger with a subtle bass line, a fantastic groove, and a wicked guitar solo. What’s interesting about the song is it begins with angels singing from the heavens above and ends with the same harmonious vocals, but with thunder clapping. It’s also fun screaming “unholy mother” every 10 seconds.

Final Assessment

Into Oblivion has an industrial and jarring production that works to the band’s favor as sounding evil is part of their job description. While there’s little melody present on the songs, Rage’s guitar playing is not suffocating to the point where an ambulance is needed. As mentioned earlier, the music lacks distinction given the songs follow a simple and jarring format. But that’s the path Venom chose for themselves; they never wanted to be technical players nor commercial enough to get radio airplay. They just wanted to play loud and abrasive music, which obviously is an acquired taste. However, it needs to be said that Cronos’ vocals sound like Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street. Just pointing that out there! With that out of the way, for those who are interested, give Venom’s Into Oblivion a chance!

Album Tracklist

1. Into Oblivion
2. Lay Down Your Soul
3. Nevermore
4. Man & Beast
5. Death the Leveller
6. As Above So Below
7. Kicked Outta Hell
8. Legend
9. Live Loud
10. Metal Bloody Metal
11. Dogs of War
12. Deathwitch
13. Unholy Mother

Band Lineup

Conrad “Cronos” Lant – bass guitar and lead vocals
Stuart “Rage” Dixon – guitars
Danny “Danté” Needham – drums

Check out the music video for “Kicked Outta Hell” from Venom’s Into Oblivion!