Prime Evil

Official vinyl reissue of Venom’s ‘Prime Evil’, originally released in 1989, recorded after the departure of lead singer and bassist Cronos, replaced for these recordings by Tony ‘The Demolition Man’ Dolan.Formed in 1978 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, Venom blazed a trail for a raw hybrid form of punk and metal, wrapped in an overtly Satanic image that is now credited with starting the Black Metal genre, as well as being an influence on the thrash and speed metal scenes that followed.Derided by the media but beloved of fans wanting a harder and faster fix of metal, Venom released three classic LPs in quick succession: ‘Welcome To Hell’ (1981), ‘Black Metal’ (1982) and ‘At War With Satan’ (1984).Following a couple of patchy albums, the band split in 1986, but returned two years later with drummer Abaddon enlisting former Atomkraft frontman Tony Dolan on bass and vocal duties, together with returning original guitarist Mantas, backed by new recruit Al Barnes. The four-piece signed with Music for Nations imprint Under One Flag and unleashed the ‘Prime Evil’ record, which included a Black Sabbath cover.Ranking ‘Prime Evil’ in the Top 5 Venom Albums of All Time, Metal Hammer writer Dom Lawson enthused: “‘Prime Evil’ is stuffed to the gills with great songs, from the imperious title track and the wild melodrama of ‘Blackened Are the Priests’ to the raging ‘Skeletal Dance’ and a surprisingly great cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Megalomania’.”