Review by Greg on November 27, 2023.

There's literally no beating around the bush when introducing this band to people. Thrash metal with an overabundance of solos is a niche in the whole retro-thrash panorama that really deserves my attention, and Hexen's debut State of Insurgency is somewhat widely recognized as one of the finest examples of it. So, if you're still new to them, what else can be said? It's simple: if you always begged your favourite NWOTM band to incorporate more elaborate solos, or just more of them, in their music, this is gonna be your go-to stuff (unless said band is Terrifier or Exmortus – in that case, why are you even asking?). It's the wet dream of every headbanger who ever touched a six-string.

Seriously, leads sure don't pop up at every corner like the said Exmortus are used to, but when they do, oh boy – the skill on display is immense. I still can't fathom how every Hexen member, except for the energetic drummer Carlos Cruz, could have severed their ties to the metal world for nearly 10 years after the project here examined came to an end. In a scene saturated with promising acts doomed by mediocre guitarists, I can't think of a band who wouldn't at least try to hire these shredders (and their fellow bassist, more on that later) to improve their level, except for the aforementioned two. And yet Ronny Dorian and temporary member James Lopez also exhibit an ear for melody like few thrash virtuosos (among the already few at all) can sport, like the endings of 'Past Life' or 'Seditions in Peacetime', or the entire 'Desolate Horizons' where Cruz's acoustic guitar parts confirm us that talent, in all likelihood, overflowed in material form out of Hexen's whole lineup.

Except for... the vocals?

It's a complaint that I can understand, Andre Hartoonian's delivery may seem slightly amateurish and even sporadically out of tune at a first hearing, but his deranged accent grew on me with time and, frankly, I can't think of a more suitable voice to recite lines like:

The evil brews, a new plan arrives
Slowly as the media settles back down
Another explosion will soon shred the town ('Blast Radius')

Ceased their bodies to exist
Severed the legs so they couldn't run
I told the victim's families
That I had fucking fun ('Gas Chamber')

Speaking about lyrics, they are another factor setting Hexen apart from the whole neo-thrash scene. Not only State of Insurgency is a loose concept album about terrorism, a pretty original theme if I ever saw one, but more topics are touched and all of them are covered with brilliant and interesting writing all the way through. Not to mention that 'Past Life' may be the most badass song beginning with a phrase like 'This is a song for the grimly depressed' ever made. Jokes aside, there's also room for a science fiction adventure ('Knee Deep in the Dead'), the detailed description of a nightmarish asylum ('Bedlam Walls'), and even some hints of the philosophical direction pursued by the follow-up in 'No More Color'. Bad luck Hartoonian discarded his vocal style for the subsequent – and, sadly, last – effort Being and Nothingness, but I recognize the music on display there surely needed something else.

I also loved how Hexen refrained from opening the album with their best and most violent song (okay, here it's at second place but...), yet again in complete counter-trend if compared to the scene, by contrast starting with 'Blast Radius' which feels more like a prelude to devastation, sitting comfortably in its mid-paced approach yet simultaneously showcasing everything they have to offer (with a bass solo to round it off). It's no easy feat, you know? Slower songs, mercifully, are not a rarity on State of Insurgency, with the other best examples being 'Chaos Aggressor' (with another acoustic intro and then a buildup to verse heavily reminiscent of Kreator's 'Riot of Violence', always a plus in my book) and the spartan, yet fearsome, 'Mutiny and Betrayal', both obviously sped up by the always impressive soloing in the middle. The aforementioned 'Gas Chamber' and 'Seditions in Peacetime', as well as the title-track, show instead Hexen at their most headbangable-selves. It shouldn't really come as a surprise by now, but the latter's chill-inducing second half contains also one of the smoothest lead sections you'll find in coeval records, before a monstruous dissolvence outro... there is brilliant stuff wherever you look.

I, just like many others before me, appreciate when a band can keep an album's length short, a fact which usually implies that they stood more focused from beginning to end. State of Insurgency just does the complete opposite, and it's perhaps even more admirable because of this. It may be also worth noting that there's only one new song here (the title-track), while the others are all re-recorded from the previous demos; in any way, the overall quality is satisfyingly consistent to the point that you probably didn't even notice this fact before reading this sentence. Hexen admittedly had lots of killer songs that didn't deserve to remain relegated to minor releases (taking advantage of this claim for a shout-out to the amazing 'Heal a Million... Kill a Million' which instead didn't make the cut). With that being said, if you think that 56 minutes are still a bit too much for a thrash album, you may want to exclude a couple songs from the playlist (mine are usually 'Knee Deep in the Dead' and 'The Serpent'), but each one of them is worth at least some spins, you can have my word for it.

Revival thrash just doesn't get better than this – arguably with the only exception of Fog of War's marvelous and virtually unreachable Here Lies Humanity, but this one comes pretty damn close. Everything else is simply doomed to stay behind the scenes every time this beast starts playing.

Rating: 9.5 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 29, 2019.

V.E.N.O. f**king M.!

Cronos is back once again. I am skeptical after the last EP and especially in view of the fact that all its three examples of mediocrity have found a place on Storm the Gates. Thus, a 95 + X % rating would be ridiculous, even for someone like me who once was a Venom fanboy and now has become a Venom fan-grandfather. Cronos will never again release a new At War with Satan, but a more than solid full-length should be possible. Maybe the droning, more or less rumbling sound of the album does not meet the greatest expectations, yet it embodies the typical flair of the noisy British legend pretty well. Needless to say, that Venom do not concentrate on technical tricks and so the production must be considered as suitable for this group - even though it would be a shame for any other formation due to its lack of sharpness and precision. But let the truth be told without any kind of cynicism. Storm the Gates (by the way, nice artwork) has an acceptable production in objective terms, no more, no less.

13 songs seem to be an omen for creativity, but honestly speaking, in the case of Venom, this would be a daring thesis. The pounding, mid-paced compositions of Storm the Gates sound antiquated. Cronos seems to have fallen out of time and the disappointing EP does not remain an isolated case. The album lacks energy and spontaneity. I miss outstanding pieces which would be able to challenge the highlights of the band's back catalogue. Generally speaking, the here presented tunes enlarge the catalogue of the trio, but they do not enrich it. It is truly bitter, but the majority of the songs raise the question of Venom's right of existence in 2018. I hate to say it, but 36 years after the groundbreaking Black Metal and 34 years after the visionary At War with Satan, this new work does not deserve a comparable attribute, even though I am not speaking about a complete flop. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the entire work has almost nothing in common with black metal. Even the comparatively diabolic atmosphere of its predecessor, remember "Smoke", "Evil Law" or the title track of "From the Very Depths" is missing.

Some good riffs have been created and they are responsible for the fact that the album does not drown in the big sea of meaninglessness. If one accepts that Venom are seemingly no longer able to convey a diabolic aura, one can enjoy some tracks and have fun. "Over My Dead Body" marks the most vigorous song, it is almost an explosive eruption in the context of this album. (But its lyrics prove evidence that the band has lost the orientation. Cronos moans about omnipresent propaganda and I really don't see a link to the "Satanic" topics that made this band once great. I am sure that Satan tears will extinguish the fires of hell as soon as he listens to this work.) "Notorious", "I, Dark Lord" or the dense and robust "Immortal" score with strong choruses and fine guitar work. The voice of unbreakable gnome at the microphone also can be mentioned as a plus point, because he still has a certain charisma which fits the musical approach. Nevertheless, there is not an ounce of originality or creative insanity. It is rather an album for obedient civil servants. Teachers, employees at the cadastral office and the part-time workers of the urban library will enjoy the fact that Storm the Gates somehow reflects their personalities. No unnecessary stress, please.

Venom's once gargantuan reputation is the main reason why the band is still alive, even though it is laudable that they still try to forge new strong albums. From the Very Depths was an excellent result, at least from my point of view. But here we have to face a work that holds no components in order to blow the listener away. Too many run-of-the-mill pieces mirror exactly the feature that all artists, but especially Venom, always intended to avoid since the beginning of time. They are ordinary. The closing title track is the final disappointment. I always thought a title track should be something special, but here we have just another piece of more or less structured noise. The once polarizing pioneers deliver songs which are too good to hate them and too bad to love them. I will walk the way of Venom with them until the bitter end, come hell or high water. But it seems as if the end is coming nearer and nearer.

V.E.N.O.f**king M.?

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 29, 2019.

V.E.N.O. f**king M.!

Cronos is back once again. I am skeptical after the last EP and especially in view of the fact that all its three examples of mediocrity have found a place on Storm the Gates. Thus, a 95 + X % rating would be ridiculous, even for someone like me who once was a Venom fanboy and now has become a Venom fan-grandfather. Cronos will never again release a new At War with Satan, but a more than solid full-length should be possible. Maybe the droning, more or less rumbling sound of the album does not meet the greatest expectations, yet it embodies the typical flair of the noisy British legend pretty well. Needless to say, that Venom do not concentrate on technical tricks and so the production must be considered as suitable for this group - even though it would be a shame for any other formation due to its lack of sharpness and precision. But let the truth be told without any kind of cynicism. Storm the Gates (by the way, nice artwork) has an acceptable production in objective terms, no more, no less.

13 songs seem to be an omen for creativity, but honestly speaking, in the case of Venom, this would be a daring thesis. The pounding, mid-paced compositions of Storm the Gates sound antiquated. Cronos seems to have fallen out of time and the disappointing EP does not remain an isolated case. The album lacks energy and spontaneity. I miss outstanding pieces which would be able to challenge the highlights of the band's back catalogue. Generally speaking, the here presented tunes enlarge the catalogue of the trio, but they do not enrich it. It is truly bitter, but the majority of the songs raise the question of Venom's right of existence in 2018. I hate to say it, but 36 years after the groundbreaking Black Metal and 34 years after the visionary At War with Satan, this new work does not deserve a comparable attribute, even though I am not speaking about a complete flop. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the entire work has almost nothing in common with black metal. Even the comparatively diabolic atmosphere of its predecessor, remember "Smoke", "Evil Law" or the title track of "From the Very Depths" is missing.

Some good riffs have been created and they are responsible for the fact that the album does not drown in the big sea of meaninglessness. If one accepts that Venom are seemingly no longer able to convey a diabolic aura, one can enjoy some tracks and have fun. "Over My Dead Body" marks the most vigorous song, it is almost an explosive eruption in the context of this album. (But its lyrics prove evidence that the band has lost the orientation. Cronos moans about omnipresent propaganda and I really don't see a link to the "Satanic" topics that made this band once great. I am sure that Satan tears will extinguish the fires of hell as soon as he listens to this work.) "Notorious", "I, Dark Lord" or the dense and robust "Immortal" score with strong choruses and fine guitar work. The voice of unbreakable gnome at the microphone also can be mentioned as a plus point, because he still has a certain charisma which fits the musical approach. Nevertheless, there is not an ounce of originality or creative insanity. It is rather an album for obedient civil servants. Teachers, employees at the cadastral office and the part-time workers of the urban library will enjoy the fact that Storm the Gates somehow reflects their personalities. No unnecessary stress, please.

Venom's once gargantuan reputation is the main reason why the band is still alive, even though it is laudable that they still try to forge new strong albums. From the Very Depths was an excellent result, at least from my point of view. But here we have to face a work that holds no components in order to blow the listener away. Too many run-of-the-mill pieces mirror exactly the feature that all artists, but especially Venom, always intended to avoid since the beginning of time. They are ordinary. The closing title track is the final disappointment. I always thought a title track should be something special, but here we have just another piece of more or less structured noise. The once polarizing pioneers deliver songs which are too good to hate them and too bad to love them. I will walk the way of Venom with them until the bitter end, come hell or high water. But it seems as if the end is coming nearer and nearer.

V.E.N.O.f**king M.?

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 29, 2019.

V.E.N.O. f**king M.!

Cronos is back once again. I am skeptical after the last EP and especially in view of the fact that all its three examples of mediocrity have found a place on Storm the Gates. Thus, a 95 + X % rating would be ridiculous, even for someone like me who once was a Venom fanboy and now has become a Venom fan-grandfather. Cronos will never again release a new At War with Satan, but a more than solid full-length should be possible. Maybe the droning, more or less rumbling sound of the album does not meet the greatest expectations, yet it embodies the typical flair of the noisy British legend pretty well. Needless to say, that Venom do not concentrate on technical tricks and so the production must be considered as suitable for this group - even though it would be a shame for any other formation due to its lack of sharpness and precision. But let the truth be told without any kind of cynicism. Storm the Gates (by the way, nice artwork) has an acceptable production in objective terms, no more, no less.

13 songs seem to be an omen for creativity, but honestly speaking, in the case of Venom, this would be a daring thesis. The pounding, mid-paced compositions of Storm the Gates sound antiquated. Cronos seems to have fallen out of time and the disappointing EP does not remain an isolated case. The album lacks energy and spontaneity. I miss outstanding pieces which would be able to challenge the highlights of the band's back catalogue. Generally speaking, the here presented tunes enlarge the catalogue of the trio, but they do not enrich it. It is truly bitter, but the majority of the songs raise the question of Venom's right of existence in 2018. I hate to say it, but 36 years after the groundbreaking Black Metal and 34 years after the visionary At War with Satan, this new work does not deserve a comparable attribute, even though I am not speaking about a complete flop. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the entire work has almost nothing in common with black metal. Even the comparatively diabolic atmosphere of its predecessor, remember "Smoke", "Evil Law" or the title track of "From the Very Depths" is missing.

Some good riffs have been created and they are responsible for the fact that the album does not drown in the big sea of meaninglessness. If one accepts that Venom are seemingly no longer able to convey a diabolic aura, one can enjoy some tracks and have fun. "Over My Dead Body" marks the most vigorous song, it is almost an explosive eruption in the context of this album. (But its lyrics prove evidence that the band has lost the orientation. Cronos moans about omnipresent propaganda and I really don't see a link to the "Satanic" topics that made this band once great. I am sure that Satan tears will extinguish the fires of hell as soon as he listens to this work.) "Notorious", "I, Dark Lord" or the dense and robust "Immortal" score with strong choruses and fine guitar work. The voice of unbreakable gnome at the microphone also can be mentioned as a plus point, because he still has a certain charisma which fits the musical approach. Nevertheless, there is not an ounce of originality or creative insanity. It is rather an album for obedient civil servants. Teachers, employees at the cadastral office and the part-time workers of the urban library will enjoy the fact that Storm the Gates somehow reflects their personalities. No unnecessary stress, please.

Venom's once gargantuan reputation is the main reason why the band is still alive, even though it is laudable that they still try to forge new strong albums. From the Very Depths was an excellent result, at least from my point of view. But here we have to face a work that holds no components in order to blow the listener away. Too many run-of-the-mill pieces mirror exactly the feature that all artists, but especially Venom, always intended to avoid since the beginning of time. They are ordinary. The closing title track is the final disappointment. I always thought a title track should be something special, but here we have just another piece of more or less structured noise. The once polarizing pioneers deliver songs which are too good to hate them and too bad to love them. I will walk the way of Venom with them until the bitter end, come hell or high water. But it seems as if the end is coming nearer and nearer.

V.E.N.O.f**king M.?

Rating: 6.8 out of 10

Review by Felix on April 29, 2019.

V.E.N.O. f**king M.!

Cronos is back once again. I am skeptical after the last EP and especially in view of the fact that all its three examples of mediocrity have found a place on Storm the Gates. Thus, a 95 + X % rating would be ridiculous, even for someone like me who once was a Venom fanboy and now has become a Venom fan-grandfather. Cronos will never again release a new At War with Satan, but a more than solid full-length should be possible. Maybe the droning, more or less rumbling sound of the album does not meet the greatest expectations, yet it embodies the typical flair of the noisy British legend pretty well. Needless to say, that Venom do not concentrate on technical tricks and so the production must be considered as suitable for this group - even though it would be a shame for any other formation due to its lack of sharpness and precision. But let the truth be told without any kind of cynicism. Storm the Gates (by the way, nice artwork) has an acceptable production in objective terms, no more, no less.

13 songs seem to be an omen for creativity, but honestly speaking, in the case of Venom, this would be a daring thesis. The pounding, mid-paced compositions of Storm the Gates sound antiquated. Cronos seems to have fallen out of time and the disappointing EP does not remain an isolated case. The album lacks energy and spontaneity. I miss outstanding pieces which would be able to challenge the highlights of the band's back catalogue. Generally speaking, the here presented tunes enlarge the catalogue of the trio, but they do not enrich it. It is truly bitter, but the majority of the songs raise the question of Venom's right of existence in 2018. I hate to say it, but 36 years after the groundbreaking Black Metal and 34 years after the visionary At War with Satan, this new work does not deserve a comparable attribute, even though I am not speaking about a complete flop. Nevertheless, it is remarkable that the entire work has almost nothing in common with black metal. Even the comparatively diabolic atmosphere of its predecessor, remember "Smoke", "Evil Law" or the title track of "From the Very Depths" is missing.

Some good riffs have been created and they are responsible for the fact that the album does not drown in the big sea of meaninglessness. If one accepts that Venom are seemingly no longer able to convey a diabolic aura, one can enjoy some tracks and have fun. "Over My Dead Body" marks the most vigorous song, it is almost an explosive eruption in the context of this album. (But its lyrics prove evidence that the band has lost the orientation. Cronos moans about omnipresent propaganda and I really don't see a link to the "Satanic" topics that made this band once great. I am sure that Satan tears will extinguish the fires of hell as soon as he listens to this work.) "Notorious", "I, Dark Lord" or the dense and robust "Immortal" score with strong choruses and fine guitar work. The voice of unbreakable gnome at the microphone also can be mentioned as a plus point, because he still has a certain charisma which fits the musical approach. Nevertheless, there is not an ounce of originality or creative insanity. It is rather an album for obedient civil servants. Teachers, employees at the cadastral office and the part-time workers of the urban library will enjoy the fact that Storm the Gates somehow reflects their personalities. No unnecessary stress, please.

Venom's once gargantuan reputation is the main reason why the band is still alive, even though it is laudable that they still try to forge new strong albums. From the Very Depths was an excellent result, at least from my point of view. But here we have to face a work that holds no components in order to blow the listener away. Too many run-of-the-mill pieces mirror exactly the feature that all artists, but especially Venom, always intended to avoid since the beginning of time. They are ordinary. The closing title track is the final disappointment. I always thought a title track should be something special, but here we have just another piece of more or less structured noise. The once polarizing pioneers deliver songs which are too good to hate them and too bad to love them. I will walk the way of Venom with them until the bitter end, come hell or high water. But it seems as if the end is coming nearer and nearer.

V.E.N.O.f**king M.?

Rating: 6.8 out of 10