IMPELLITTERI - Venom

April 14, 2015, 8 years ago

(Frontiers)

Mark Gromen

Rating: 8.5

review riff notes heavy metal impellitteri

IMPELLITTERI - Venom

Been six years, but namesake shredder Chris Impellitteri returns, with former Vice bandmate/vocalist Rob Rock in tow, delivering ten original, high energy rockers. None too surprisingly, guitar is the first thing heard on the title track (followed quickly by Rock's piercing high pronunciation of the word), which kicks off the album. While the six-stringer's talents are on display throughout, most of the cuts fly by, in about three and half minutes, but are singable, not just an endless string of notes. There's a polish and commercialism without forsaking the metallic quotient. This is headbanging, fist thrusting stuff. “Empire Of Lies” deals with the dirty side of Caesar's reign. When the mechanized voice-over says “Rome will burn,” cue Impellitteri's fingers, blazing away. The staccato riffing “Nightmare” has a tone different to the others, a little heavier/darker, albeit no less frenetic (wicked chorus section & break).

Truth be told, stylistically, most of these songs could easily appear on Rock's last couple of solo efforts and no disrespect intended to the guitar players therein, but here the instrument is taken to another level. There's a Dio-esque (“We Rock”) quality about “We Own The Night”. Even the title treads similar territory. Can't help but confuse the subdued intro to “Face The Enemy” (the longest choice at 4:47) with Pat Benatar's “Hell Is For Children”, although the rest of this mid-tempo 4/4 number bears no resemblance whatsoever. “Domino Theory” is a Carpel Tunnel inducing run-through, right from jump. Although both guitarist and singer are Christians, apart from “Jehova” there's nothing even covert about the lyrics. “Time Machine” is an ode to us old-heads, still active in purchasing/attending concerts, who use music to transport us back to another era. A sweep-filled “Holding On”, sort of a gusto-infused ballad, concludes an all too quickly terminated album. There is talk of domestic shows. Let's hope so!



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