Rich’s Rapidfire Recommendations – bite-sized metal morsels to let you know about albums that have grabbed Rich Davenport by the ears, that we hope you’ll enjoy too! ROCK ON!
Artist: IMPELLITTERI
Album: Venom
Label: Frontiers Music Srl
Released: April 17th, 2015
Track Listing:
01. Venom
02. Empire Of Lies
03. We Own The Night
04. Nightmare
05. Face The Enemy
06. Dominoe Theory
07. Jehova
08. Rise
09. Time Machine
10. Holding On
11. Rock Through The Night (bonus track)
12. Reach For the Sky (bonus track)
Impellitteri – Venom. Guitarist Chris Impellitteri and vocalist Rob Rock are an enduring and vastly underrated classic Metal songwriting partnership that’s lasted for 30 years, and the word on the street was that with“Venom”, they sought to outdo themselves, by attempting to make sure that both the songs and the performances were crafted to the highest possible standards, with the goal of producing an album that would bring to mind different eras in Metal history. Aided by bassist James Pulli and former Slayer / Testament blastbeater John Dette, Chris and Rob have certainly achieved their lofty aim, and the foursome don’t so much play these songs ram them home, the strength of the material making maximum impact as a result. Varied and memorable, from opening title track “Venom” to grand finale “Reach For The Sky”, each song boasts melodic riffs and vocals, hooklines to spare, and Chris’s shredding solos, which mark him out as that rare breed of guitarist who’s able to play lead breaks at vicious velocity, in which the listener can still follow the melodic changes and structure. More than once, I’ve found myself hitting “Play” again as soon as the album ends, having enjoyed it so much. “Venom” is classic Heavy Metal at its best, and both Chris Impelliterri and Rob Rock still sound like they’re pushing themselves forward as musicians and writers. Recommended!
Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 