Venomous Maximus – Beg Upon The Light (2013)

Delivering waves of powerful riffs, today we have Venomous Maximus and their debut-full length “Beg Upon The Light”. Originally released in 2012, Napalm Records has taken into their hands to properly release this album and get this band the amount of exposure they deserve. Featuring 10 tracks of a very unique mixture of Occult Rock and Stoner Metal, this band has a very different musical approach when compared to other Occult Rock bands that focus on adding psychedelic elements and a groovier vibe.

After a cheesy intro powered by organs, “Path of Doom” leads the way with very heavy and Sludgy riffs. The vocals are quite powerful and contrasting, reminiscent of Heavy Metal acts from the 80’s. The Doom-esque “Give Up The Witch” nicely continues the onslaught of riffs that this band has crafted for such an interesting release, with a high emphasis on catchiness, they immediately command the listeners attention.

Continuing after a weird interlude (“Father Time”), “Dream Again (Hellenbach)” showcases some odd vocals at first, before unleashing awesome rhythm guitar sections and very tight drumming. The bands gritty sound is quite effective, and the guitar leads nicely propel it to retro epicness. Our only issue with the band is that by the time “Moonchild” and “Venomous Maximus” roll in, we start feeling that the release gets a bit linear and predictable. However, very well placed tracks like “Battle of the Cross” sometimes work very well in shaking things up a bit.

Before finishing up the release, the band goes completely into left-field with “Mother Milk”, a song that it is as puzzling as its name. Being an acoustic instrumental, we thought we mixed up a song from Tenhi or similar bands with this release. Closing with the epic “Hell’s Heroes”, the band nicely saved the best for last with this engaging and punishing track. The mood is a bit more intense, and the riffing is quite intoxicating.

Overall, “Beg Upon The Light” is indeed a very interesting and engaging release and Venomous Maximus deserves all the exposure they can get with this excellent release. If you are into the Occult/Psychedelic Rock wave and are looking for a band that brings something new into the mix, look no further and get into the Sludgy/Stoner vibe of this great band from the USA.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: July 5th, 2013

Genre: Occult Rock/Stoner Metal

Country: USA