Band:	Venom Prison
Album:	Erebos
Style:	Death metal, Hardcore
Release date:	February 04, 2022
A review by:	omne metallum

01. Born From Chaos
02. Judges Of The Underworld
03. Nemesis
04. Comfort Of Complicity
05. Pain Of Oizys
06. Golden Apples Of The Hesperides
07. Castigated In Steel And Concrete
08. Gorgon Sisters
09. Veil Of Night
10. Technologies Of Death

Hello darkness my old friend.

Venom Prison have been a shining star in the death metal underground for much of the last decade, building a reputation through a succession of powerful and vibrant albums, leading to 2022’s release Erebos to be one of the more hotly anticipated records of the year. Living up to these expectations and exceeding them is something the band do with apparent ease, with Erebos being the band’s best work to date.

Perhaps also the band’s most ambitious album to date, Venom Prison venture further out of their death metal comfort zone (not that they religiously stuck to it before) and take listeners on a journey that combines deathcore, nu metal and a healthy dose of the Gothenburg sound into one of the most cohesive and compelling collections of metal so far this year. It is this variation that keeps Erebos sounding fresh no matter how many times you relisten to it.

Hitting the ground running, Erebos starts off with its strongest foot forward, with “Judges Of The Underworld” featuring one of the most infectious choruses in death metal and a sound that gives off nu metal/deathcore vibes. The band do not relent and continue to bombard those who listen with a series of tracks that manage to strike the balance between giving you what you want and adding in unexpected elements to enhance the experience. “Pain Of Oizys” sounds like a distillation of The Nightmare Of Being into one track, with its unorthodox approach and balancing of hard-hitting power amongst a sea of atmospheric waves, making for a welcome deviation from standard death metal. “Gorgon Sisters”, meanwhile, features a push/pull dynamic between death metal and deathcore that sinks its hooks in deep and doesn’t relent. Perhaps the least adventurous track, “Nemesis”, still hits hard, sounding like an Arch Enemy track run through a deathcore grinder; it is this sense of adventure that makes Erebos a must-hear record.

Ably pulling off proceedings, Venom Prison are on top form. Stupar is often said to be the best female vocalist in death metal; this, however, sells her short, with performances on tracks like “Castigated In Steel And Concrete” showing she has a growl many a male vocalist would be jealous of possessing. Jefferies is a machine behind the drum kit, with his performances on tracks like “Gorgon Sisters” and “Golden Apples Of The Hesperides” taking some unorthodox approaches with such power and precision that you find yourself replaying a song to listen to the drums before returning once more to hear the rest of the band. Matching the band’s ambition, Atkins' production is perfectly handled to balance all the different elements the band bring to proceedings, with a clear and powerful sound enhancing the experience perfectly.

As strong as Erebos is, it does run out of steam at the end of the album, with the final two tracks “Veil Of Night” and “Technologies Of Death” being unable to maintain the same high standard the preceding tracks establish. While not bad tracks, they end the record on its weakest moments and only compound the feeling of being a step down from what had come before. While the tracks still are worth listening to, their positioning on the album does mean that you can end proceedings early without feeling like you are missing out too much.

Erebos should prove to be Venom Prison’s breakout moment, graduating from underground darlings to one of the hottest death metal projects going.