On this day April 16, 1984, British metal band Venom released their third studio album At War with Satan. Known as pioneers of black metal, Venom pushed their sound and style even further with this ambitious and controversial release.
The album featured a twenty minute title track that took up the entire first side of the record and told a dark fantasy story about a battle between heaven and hell. The second half delivered shorter, rawer songs like Rip Ride and Genocide, returning to the band’s signature speed and aggression. At War with Satan reached number 64 on the UK Albums Chart and became one of Venom’s most talked about records. Its bold themes, occult imagery, and extreme sound made it a favorite among underground metal fans and influenced countless bands that followed in the extreme metal scene.
Fun fact: The original LP was packaged to look like a leather bound book, adding to the album’s dark and epic feel.
Trivia question: What 1984 album by Venom featured a twenty minute title track and helped shape the future of extreme metal?
The album featured a twenty minute title track that took up the entire first side of the record and told a dark fantasy story about a battle between heaven and hell. The second half delivered shorter, rawer songs like Rip Ride and Genocide, returning to the band’s signature speed and aggression. At War with Satan reached number 64 on the UK Albums Chart and became one of Venom’s most talked about records. Its bold themes, occult imagery, and extreme sound made it a favorite among underground metal fans and influenced countless bands that followed in the extreme metal scene.
Fun fact: The original LP was packaged to look like a leather bound book, adding to the album’s dark and epic feel.
Trivia question: What 1984 album by Venom featured a twenty minute title track and helped shape the future of extreme metal?
