The one thing I do miss about most modern metal is the lack of melodic vocals. Nearly every modern metal band has the the guy growling down a drainpipe style vocal. I get there is a time and place to fit that into a song to accentuate the light and shade of a tune, but unless the music is absolutely killer I switch off and move on.
Melody is high on the agenda with Impellitteri without compromising too much on the metal. Chris is a great guitar player in the Malmsteen mode but with more of a metal edge. Rob Rock is a great vocalist although some of the lyrics I find a bit too much with the bible content. If I want to be preached to I would go to church.
Anyhoo, the songs are all great with amazing playing and huge fat riffs, which is always a plus for me. Venom, the title track, is a perfect example of a killer speed metal track. Fast chugga riff, over the top guitar, and awesome vocals. No song lasts more than 4.30 – in fact – there is only one track over 4 minutes making every track straight to the point and making you want more. My personal favourites are Nightmare and Reach For The Sky, both are killer tracks with monster riffs. The production is fat and in your face and sounds super clear. Impellitteri don’t make bad records and this is no exception.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
