Calm Before the Storm (Venom album)

Calm Before the Storm
Studio album by Venom
Released November 7th, 1987
Genre Thrash metal, speed metal
Length 36:20
Label Filmtrax
Producer Nick Tauber
Venom chronology
The Singles 1980-1986
(1986)
Calm Before the Storm
(1987)
Prime Evil
(1989)
Cover of CD Re-issue
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Calm Before the Storm is the fifth album by Venom. The original title of the album would have been "Deadline", but the title was changed when guitarist Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn left the band and was replaced by Jimi Clare and Mike Hickey. Both were to follow bassist Conrad "Cronos" Lant in his later solo career and the latter would also return on the 2006 album Metal Black.

The album is characterised by a "cleaner", more synthetic sound when compared to Venom's other albums. Especially the drums, which sound almost like a drum machine, are contributing to this fact. Also, the guitar has a brighter sound and is easily distinguishable from the bass. The change in sound is perhaps mostly due to the addition of another guitarist and the producer Nick Tauber, who had previously worked with hard rock acts such as UFO and Thin Lizzy.[1]

Track listing

No. Title Length
1. "Black Xmas"   2:57
2. "The Chanting of the Priests"   4:25
3. "Metal Punk"   3:24
4. "Under A Spell"   4:09
5. "Calm Before the Storm"   4:14
6. "Fire"   2:42
7. "Krackin' Up"   2:15
8. "Beauty And the Beast"   3:49
9. "Deadline"   3:17
10. "Gypsy"   2:25
11. "Muscle"   2:43

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References