Its been over a decade since I last checked in with the Greek Melodic Death Metal group Nightrage. I don't remember much of them, other than their breed of melodeath being rather rough around the edges. "The Venomous" is a step apart from where I last joined them as the band treat themselves to a lavish, tightly polished production that is as crisp as it gets for this genre of music.
Walking in the shadows of bands like Carcass, Arch Enemy and In Flames, the band do little to set themselves apart from the tropes of the melodeath genre. Its as predictable an experience you could expect, every riff, scream, and drum beat fits neatly into the formula. That's not to bash on the band but when a sound is where it was ten years ago it can hardly be exciting for a seasoned listener.
The reality is Nightrage are a very competent band, clearly talented, technical and inspired the album is littered with tightly wound riffs chugging away on integral grooves and between them wave after wave of bright colorful leads and vibrant guitar solos. Song structures keep things oozing but it lacks the power to surprise. Not a single moment or riff felt unexpected, wild or out of the mold and so often it drifted to the back of my mind. Even so It was still an enjoyable record with little to complain about but for such a unoriginal piece of music it hardly made an impression on me. If you know Melodic Death Metal, you know this record already.
Rating: 4/10