Venom Prison – Erebos | Album Review

The prospect of writing a ‘difficult third album’ can be a make or break moment for many bands but Venom Prison have surpassed all expectations with their new album Erebos, justifying the hype surrounding what’s to be one of the most exciting record releases of 2022.

Never ones to mince their words, Venom Prison are notorious for getting straight to the point, so it’s a little out of character to find Erebos opens with an intro track. ‘Born From Chaos’ sees frontwoman Larissa Stupar repeating the words over and over in varying vocal styles, a hint at what’s to come. The phrase itself simultaneously pointing to current events and how and when the album was created.

Taken at face value it would be all too easy to mistake this as a concept album steeped in Gods and deities, but listen carefully – concealed beneath the ancient iconography are some of Stupar’s most perturbed, blunt and poetic lyrics to date. From the description of the dehumanisation of immigrants on ‘Comfort of Complicity’ to the frankly brutal and harrowing lyrics of ‘Gorgon Sisters’, a song detailing the heinous act of forced sterilisation of women. Utterly relentless, Venom Prison aim for the jugular and land a direct hit.

Sonically however, Erebos shows so much growth in every detail, be it the intricate instrumental layers making each song thoroughly watertight, or the sheer scale of tracks such as ‘Veil of Night’. An unforgiving ode that confronts grief by wrapping it in a silver lining of beauty and acceptance, it drips with theatrical grandeur that at times almost mimics or strays into symphonic black metal territory. The band have stated that everything needed to be bigger, better, catchier, and Erebos is all that and more.

Whilst Erebos is as every bit as heavy as could be expected, the stand-out moment on the album surely has to be ‘Pain of Oizys’, a gut-wrenching track that sees Venom Prison leap a country mile from their comfort zone. The inclusion of electronic effects, sparsity and experimentation with clean vocal takes really give way for the lyrics to shine. Wearing her heart on her sleeve ‘Pain of Oizys’ shows Stupar at her most vulnerable. A track that supposedly took ten hours to record due to being reduced to tears during takes, this visceral song confronting depression and PTSD is every bit as difficult to listen to as the subject matter. Haunting, pained and entirely unexpected, this track cements Venom Prison’s ability to explore new musical horizons

Undeniably Venom Prison have proved themselves time over as a force to be reckoned with and while they may also at times be unpredictable, they’re every bit as consistent. Though slightly more accessible, Erebos is still as abrasive, aggressive, sorrowful and enchanting as ever. If this isn’t Venom Prison at their absolute best then it’s hard to imagine how they could possibly eclipse this release. It’s clear that this is only the beginning of something much bigger for the band and all we can do is sit back and revel in their glory.