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By JEFF MAKI
This is the age of metal in which every band talks about trying to write a modern classic. Most bands try to record their own Master of Puppets or any one of the Sabbath albums. Many bands have tried, but no band has ever recaptured the intensity, sound and attitude of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power; until Throwdown's Venom and Tears, that is.
This band has been around for quite some time now, hailing from Orange County, Calif., and once included Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati in its lineup on bass. Throwdown has had success on Headbangers Ball, Ozzfest and Sounds of the Underground. They have a strong reputation as a straight-edge hardcore/thrash band and are a recognizable name in the scene. All metal fans will now know the name Throwdown by the time Venom and Tears makes its rounds.
I'll get straight to the point—when the first riffs of “Holy Roller” begin, I immediately felt like I was listening to the legendary Pantera. Everything is here: Phil Anselmo-hardcore-style vocals from Dave Peters, Dimebag-esque guitar riffs and the perfect blend of hardcore thrash metal and accessibility. This may shock or even offend diehard Pantera fans at first, but after digging deeper, there is more to Venom and Tears than just a Vulgar Display rip-off. It's the overall fuck-you attitude that makes this album so goddamn good and, also, the fact that we have no longer have Pantera. So I'd like to thank Throwdown for bringing the fire back.
One can't help but raise and pump your fist to the raging anthems “Hellbent (On War),” “No Love,” the all-out “Fucking Hostile”-thrash of “S.C.U.M” or the slow-riff chug of “I'll Never Die a Poisoned Death.” “I, Suicide” features guitar shredding that I haven't heard in a decade. This is the shit—I can't put it any other way. And it's every song here. The riffs are original but have the feel of classic Pantera; they are timed perfectly and they make you want to move. Lyrics also take the stance on revolting against everyday society—these guys are fucking pissed off at everything and everyone. I hear other '90s metal influences here, as well, including Sepultura and Machine Head. It's a fucking pissed-off, groovy, stripped-down sound long missing in today's acts, who rely more on complicated time changes and combinations of styles than actual songs.
Throwdown's new metallic sound may be an adjustment for their hardcore-oriented fans, but Venom and Tears has the potential to bring in a whole new metal crowd. This album is the most badass release I've heard while working on this site. I know there's still a few months left in 2007, but Venom and Tears will most certainly be the metal album of the year. |
