The Venom Assembly

Overall Impression:
Delivering powerful, darkly toned Heavy Metal riffs and rough-hewn vocals with an excellent sense for dramatics, The Venom Assembley strikes back to the origins of Metal, and the primordial sonic stew when it and Rock were still intrinsically entwined. Save Your is a pounding rocker driven by a chugging rhythm section, throbbing drums, and screaming electric lead, brimming with relentless power chords and wild solos, and guided along by raw lead vocals that alternate between twisted candidness and stadium style force, in a fascinatingly uncanny duet. Intense from beginning to end, packed with instrumental prowess, and bursting with interesting compositional choices Save Your is an excellent eerie, high energy listen for anyone who prefers the heavier side of things.


Strongest Point(s):
The Venom Assembley's vocal arrangements for Save Your are excellent, with the back and forth between male and female parts marking the song as unique from the start, and the secondary chanted "save your" and "get out"s adding a special sense of gravitas and impact. Most importantly, each individual vocal section and harmony is perfectly placed to feed off one another and pass audience attention back and forth, keeping the track tight and focused, and helping with its ultimate build of intensity to the final solo beginning at approximately 4.03, riding high to the song's feedback laden conclusion. With each musician involved deftly in full control of their instrument, Save Your does a superb job of providing tons of interest without detracting from the exquisite effectiveness of its base melody, an aptitude mirrored in the piece's soloing flair, which incorporates plenty of dizzying prowess, that much more appreciated due to the contrast of interspersed slower segments which serve to further ground the song.



Target Audience Appeal:
Save Your is an excellent track for anyone who is a fan of Metallica, or heavier, with the potential for appeal across Mainstream Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, and even Progressive Metal, depending on the complexity of The Venom Assembley's future compositions. The band will definitely want to look to book mid to large sized performance venues that will give their sound ample room, although that isn't to say blowing out the occasional dive over the holidays can't be a good time. Also a good fit for an outdoor, nighttime festival slot (given appropriate engineering support,) Save Your is a great hard hitter within a larger album of work, and holds plenty of golden opportunities for crowd participation and extended improvised soloing during a live show.


Artist target suggestions:
Metallica, Black Label Society, Halestorm, Pop Evil, The Pretty Reckless, Megadeath, Iron Maiden, Through Fire, Judas Priest, Slayer, Pantera



About the Reviewer:
Mary Wildsmith is an FM Radio DJ, and has been involved in both on-air work and radio production for five and a half years, in addition to working the past decade in and out of the live entertainment industry. She has experience with the fickle nature of the music industry, selecting singles to promote or discard for radio play, and engineering stage to audience sound systems. Having worked balancing, troubleshooting, and running audio rigs has enabled her to be both sensitive, and sympathetic, to the finesse and nuance of quality recording. Mary is passionate about promoting new and independent artists, and has spent extensive time in round-table environments discussing music and audio critically, and collaborating with artists to enable them to put the best possible foot forward with their art.


Area(s) of Improvement:
The world of Metal has a wide array of opinions as to the best way to master, which tends to vary wildly between subgenres. At the moment Save Your's vocal parts are somewhere in the middle of the mix, neither in front of, or behind, the instrumentation. If this is The Venom Assembley's specific preference, the song is absolutely appropriate as is, though it may lead to the song being embraced more strongly in the Metal community than that of Mainstream or Alternative Rock. Bringing the vocal tracks slightly forward in the mix, with the possibility of adding a bit more saturation to enhance their presence could be an interesting experiment, and may help if the band looks to market to the Rock circuit in particular. Thanks for sharing, and looking forward to hearing more in the future! -

Overall Impression:
The Venom Assembly pulls from tried and true tones to create a sound that feels at once classic and current, their original track, "Mark of Red", delivering a perfect cocktail of brightly distorted guitar riffs and nostalgia-steeped Rock grooves beneath a lyrical tale of fearful discovery. Well-shredded guitars mingle with nearly crazed vocal deliveries to elicit a sense of mania, gripping listeners with artfully assembled madness throughout the musically intense depths of "Mark of Red".



Strongest Point(s):
The Venom Assembly manages to drop a sound that's intense by nature, but with a sense of creative identity that doesn't take itself too seriously. The result is a rich and engaging experience - made all the more impactful by the incredible skill behind the sound. Massive guitar tones and incredible licks make up the bulk of the track's presence, tied off nicely by the slightly deranged vocal deliveries and unsettling lyrics. Incorporating the sound clips at the beginning and end provide an entertaining bit of playful character to the sound as well. Well done!



Target Audience Appeal:
Those who love their guitar parts set to "shred" will fall headlong into the work that The Venom Assembly is producing, finding an interesting creative balance between the Heavy Metal tones of old and the Punk-adjacent Nu Metal sounds of today. "Mark of Red" treats listeners to a bold and well made glimpse of the band's creative drives, provoking a watchful eye towards The Venom Assembly's current and future efforts! - Jon W.




Artist target suggestions:
Atreyu, Rush, Coheed & Cambria, My Chemical Romance, Rage Against The Machine, Dream Theater, Accept, Warkings, Dio, Killswitch Engage, Armored Saint, Pantera, 10 Years, Dance Gavin Dance, Breaking Benjamin, The Used, Thrice, All That Remains




About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
Breaking free from its cage with an all-consuming riff from Hell, "Monster" puts listeners at the mercy of The Venom Assembly's brilliantly overdriven beast within! Lyrically exploring the infectious influence of one on another, "Monster" paints internal darkness in a bright light - complimenting the tune's central hook with an irrefragable keyboard lead and flanking it on either side with a mob of dutifully-chugging strings and skins.



Strongest Point(s):
"Monster" bears an undeniable sense of levity - brilliantly juxtaposed against the lyrical structure and content. Killer theme, and a great execution both in terms of lyric and part writing - as well as surrounding effects and additions. The roaring sound sample feels just right for the track's tone, making a perfect bookend to the experience. Wonderfully bright riffs in the pre-chorus, and the key lead works wonders in this chorus specifically. Delightfully ominous organ in the bridge, and the quintessential shred session into the outtro is sublime. Excellent sound, massive energy!



Target Audience Appeal:
Fearsome in its instrumental impact, but flat out fun in its execution, "Monster" promises to resonate well among listeners in the Metal community, with a specific appeal towards fans of the classics! The Venom Assembly prove in every release to be a passionately creative and powerfully skilled band, and "Monster" takes it a step further, inviting listeners from all backgrounds to join in for a bout of cleverly crafted, playful brutality. - Jon W.



Artist target suggestions:
Motörhead, Avenged Sevenfold, Pantera, Halestorm, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, Ra, Stone Sour, Seether, Sabaton, Plini, Polyphia, Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Daughtry, Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Intervals, KISS, TOOL



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
The Venom Assembly brings classic tones to modern fruition, delivering a colossal Alt. Metal ballad with emotionally salient depths and artfully frenzied highs in the original track, "Enemy"! Beginning with modestly understated melodic movements, "Enemy" swells into an impressive, impactful expression of controlled chaos - escorting listeners on a journey through a soundscape wrought of comfortingly familiar Rock tones and grippingly frantic energies.



Strongest Point(s):
The contrast between the softer, melodic verses and the harrowing choruses is impressive - allowing the heavier portions to land even harder. The impact at 2:36 is a greatly engaging moment. Wonderful instrumental tones, especially the lead guitar. Immensely well-performed solo at 2:50, favoring expressivity over rhythmic precision but in a way that mirrors the artistic energy of the track well. Massive bass sound, with the fills at 3:41 inspiring a visceral response. The guitar displays an excellent descent into chaos through the end of the track, bolstered by impeccable drumming, both in terms of accuracy and dynamic expression.



Target Audience Appeal:
"Enemy" carries a tone that hearkens back to the greats of the genre while the artistic energies of The Venom Assembly feel fresh and presently relevant. The result is a track that stands to appeal to fans of the titans that paved the way while offering a fount of currently-crafted creativity for those fans to tap into - inspiring a resurgence of Metal heads young and old and a sizeable following for the efforts of The Venom Assembly. - Jon W.



Artist target suggestions:
Motörhead, Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Daughtry, Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Intervals, Pantera, Halestorm, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, Ra, Stone Sour, Seether, Sabaton, Avenged Sevenfold, Plini, Polyphia, Van Halen



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
The Venom Assembly drops Rock tones like an A-bomb, roaring into the opening moments of their original track Knife to an Arms Race with furious intent. A thunderous pulse leads the march before explosive guitar licks streak across the soundscape, granting Knife to an Arms Race a sound that feels fully contemporary but deeply informed by the guitar-shredding gods of days past. Lyrically exploring a menacing perspective of the adage "all for one and one for all," Knife to an Arms Race is brought to three-dimensional life through bold musicianship and bright, gritty vocal deliveries!


Strongest Point(s):
Incredible overall sound! The dedication to the style is apparent and serves the sound well, blending overdriven grit with straightforward Rock passages to create an undeniable energy. Massive guitar skills, from the sweeping arpeggiations to the more succinct impacts and back around again to the chaotic onslaught of notes in the bridge solo. Bass and drums hold down their parts perfectly for the needs of the tune, and the lead vocals bear a Punk-adjacent sense of attitude and identity. All in all, this is killer work through and through!


Target Audience Appeal:
Listners who enjoy deep distortion and firm Rock flows will gladly lose themselves in the sound that The Venom Assembly has so skillfully crafted, with the full effect of Knife to an Arms Race spanning a wide range of Rock sub-genres and inviting in an equally wide array of potential fans! Specifically appealing to those that love a well-shredded guitar, Knife to an Arms Race is a promising piece of work from The Venom Assembly, inspiring a hope for even more to come! - Jon W.


Artist target suggestions:
Theory of a Deadman, Pantera, Sick Puppies, Breaking Benjamin, Daughtry, 10 Years, Fuel, Seether, Disturbed, Three Days Grace, Seether, Staind, Pop Evil, Smile Empty Soul, Atreyu, Alexisonfire, Chevelle, Coheed & Cambria



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
Nothing primes for chaos like a Jack Nicholson sound byte, and "Superhero" kicks off with a line from Gotham's own green-haired laughing stock - setting up a perfect villain for the saga to come. The Venom Assembly deliver gritty licks with effortless ease, crafting a theme befitting an unlikely and utterly determined "Superhero", ushering listeners into the inner monologue of a vigilante with reckless, relentless abandon.



Strongest Point(s):
Awesome sound sample at the opening and close of the track - Nicholson's joker is iconic and unsettling in a way that no other ever will be. Using that to frame a story of failed but unyielding vigilantism lends the track a specific gravity as well as a cult-level appeal. Great sound, classic drive and strong vocal work throughout. The central guitar riff maintains a masterful energy, and the keys add a colorful layer to the experience. Genius placement of the final laugh.



Target Audience Appeal:
Any fan of the Caped Crusader, the Boy Wonder, or even the villain himself will fall headlong into "Superhero", hooked from the first moment by that iconic sample. In the long run, however, "Superhero" stands to find the warmest reception among listeners who love well-shredded guitar, thunderously hammering riffs, and relentless dedication to passionate work - no matter what the cost. - Jon W.



Artist target suggestions:
Van Halen, Motörhead, Avenged Sevenfold, Plini, Polyphia, Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Daughtry, Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Intervals, Pantera, Halestorm, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, Ra, Stone Sour, Seether, Sabaton



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
Setting the kindling with a quip from Billy Shakespeare himself, The Venom Assembly extend a foreboding introduction to their track "Bad Like Me", positing, "Hell, it is empty and all the devils are here." A languid statement of the main instrumental theme and the ride begins - placing listeners on the back of a snare-driven climb to the top of the coaster before it drops, launching into a bright and bold guitar-laden shred-scape full of twists, turns, and full stops as The Venom Assembly delivers the all-original and consciously and reverently influenced "Bad Like Me".



Strongest Point(s):
Bold opening - masterfully heightening anticipation of what's to come! Killer guitar tones, even better playing as the track oscillates between face-melting shred sessions and tastefully reserved rhythmic drives. Nice, full bass tone and expert maintenance of the pocket, syncing with the inhumanly consistent drums to keep the ride rolling at full tilt from start to finish. Incredibly satisfying moment at 1:30, as the relationship between the instrumentals and vocals solidifies into a powerful groove. Brilliant solo into the vocal bridge, and a great payoff into the final stretch.



Target Audience Appeal:
Bringing a sound that covers ground between Iron Maiden and Van Halen but extends ever further with an identity all their own, The Venom Assembly's "Bad Like Me" is an expertly designed sonic thrill ride. Elevated by the group's obvious love of the craft, "Bad Like Me" bears an intensity of sound and intricacy of arrangement that should appeal directly to fans of Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, and any other permutation of deliciously overdriven guitar-based artistry - representing just a sliver of the experiences in store on the band's 2020 release, The Conquering Machine. - Jon W.



Artist target suggestions:
Megadeth, Plini, Polyphia, Blondie, Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Intervals, Pantera, Halestorm, Shinedown, Sick Puppies, Ra, Stone Sour, Seether, Sabaton, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Avenged Sevenfold



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -

Overall Impression:
Metalheads, rejoice! The Venom Assembly waves the banner high, descending into a space of angst-fueled instrumental intensity with ominous, tribal undertones in "Nothing There". Enigmatically droning guitar is interrupted by three sharp raps, expertly foreshadowing the track's inevitably sudden and lethally explosive foray into guitar-driven ferocity - wavering between cryptic vocal passages and shred-heavy breakdowns as The Venom Assembly alerts listeners to the fact that there's "Nothing There".



Strongest Point(s):
"Nothing There" has a great feel to it; the structure's drifting between the quasi-spiritual, vocally intriguing verses and adrenaline-laced breaks creating a remarkable contrast. Creative use of vocal layering throughout, though especially in the track's final moments. The portion from 2:53-3:15 is incredibly engaging, sitting atop that breakdown groove ominously and commanding attentions before the wonderfully volatile guitar feature directly after. Great playing from each instrumentalist, and an impressive attention to structural detail throughout.







Target Audience Appeal:
Listeners with an appreciation for the artistically unsettling will be able to fully enjoy The Venom Assembly's efforts here, with the dedication to gutturally-gripping instrumental brutality on display in "Nothing There" creating a memorable and immersive backdrop for the band's exploration of hallucination and high-anxiety existence! Narratively intriguing and instrumentally invigorating, "Nothing There" offers listeners a potent dose of Metal musicality, cleverly wrought and skillfully executed. - Jon W.



Artist target suggestions:
Motörhead, Avenged Sevenfold, Plini, Polyphia, Iron Maiden, Pop Evil, Breaking Benjamin, Slayer, Disturbed, Alter Bridge, Daughtry, Mötley Crüe, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Intervals, Pantera, Halestorm, Shinedown, Godsmack, Ra, Stone Sour, Seether, Sabaton, TOOL



About the Reviewer:
Jon Wright is a trained multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and music educator with nearly twenty years of experience in the field. Working with musicians and their individual sounds is his passion and profession, and he strives to interact with and understand every aspect of the production process - from theory and songwriting to recording and mastering. He continues to teach students of all ages and is currently collaborating with artists in a wide variety of genres. -