DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present the highly anticipated second album of Austria’s VENATOR, Psychodrome, on CD, vinyl LP, and cassette tape formats.

Psychodrome shows Venator demonstrating beyond a shadow of a doubt that their first album, Echoes from the Gutter, was no fluke: Venator is the real deal, a band steeped in the sounds of yesteryear who can make those sounds come alive for the modern day. What sets Venator apart from so much of the pack of NWOBHM revivalists is singer Hans Huemer’s assured vocal delivery, Stefan Glasner’s killer bass tone and playing, and just the sheer fun of listening to their songs. Combining those elements with production that is both clear and gritty, driving drums, and punchy guitar licks and fiery solos, Venator excels at writing songs that draw from the well of heavy metal’s heyday while still sounding fresh and new, both vigorous and mature.

Review

Psychodrome opens with Into the Drome, a brief synth introduction that sounds like something out of the score of A Nightmare on Elm Street. After a minute of this spooky atmosphere building, the album gets its proper start with Steal the Night, as good a statement as Venator has ever made about the vitality of their craft. The template for Steal the Night and most of the tunes on Psychodrome is the NWOBHM, particularly the bands of that movement who struck a balance between tunefulness and grit (early Def Leppard, Tokyo Blade, Girlschool, Saxon, and of course Judas Priest come most readily to mind).  That being said, the opening riff to this one would fit right in on Iron Maiden’s first record. Lyrically and sonically, Steal the Night is a fitting album opener and a statement of purpose: Venator is here to steal you away to a night in the psychodrome.

Children of the Beast is a great showpiece for Huemer’s incredible voice, and it also features a fantastic guitar solo. This one would not sound the least bit out of place on their first record, which is both a good and a bad thing: Echoes from the Gutter was an excellent debut, but I also would like to see Venator stretch out and show us something new. Luckily, I’ll get my wish on the coming tracks.

Ravening Angel, up next, is the first of the three tracks that make up the excellent middle section of Psychodrome. Venator slows it down just a touch in order to give the song some of that 80s swagger and attitude that defines heavy metal when it was pubescent and plucky (every time I hear this track, the swing of the riff reminds me of a sped up version of the Scorpions’ “The Zoo”). Huemer busts out some falsetto yawps in this tune that perfectly fit the audacious tone of the track. But, really, the guitars steal the show, particularly when they jump out from the riff for a brief lick. Venator also gives this song a little room to breathe, particularly in the bridge and guitar solo, and it works to great effect: the song doesn’t feel overlong, but it has the scope of a full-blown statement.

The Final Call is the longest track on Psychodrome and for very good reason: the track builds and builds, picking up tension and speed before falling into a quiet interlude dominated by Glasner’s fluid bass playing. This interlude builds again as the bass and drums get faster and the guitar playing gets more urgent. The song then breaks into a series of guitar solos that are just thrilling to hear: Anton Holzner and Leon Ehrengruber shine on this one. Altogether, this is the most unique song in the Venator catalogue to date. This one might be the album highlight for me, although it’s got to contend with…

Radar, the first single Venator chose from the album, and a great pick it is. Unlike The Final Call, which shows Venator trying to expand their sonic palette in exciting new directions, Radar is pure Venator distilled down to its purest and most potent form. The transition from epic, proggy The Final Call to urgent and punky Radar is also a thrill to hear every time I spin the record. More than maybe any other Venator song to date, Radar sounds like you’ve tuned into an 80s radio station playing hidden gems from metal’s golden age. Another song elevated by Glasner’s punchy bass playing and Jakob Steidl’s dependably driving drums, the chorus to this one has been stuck in my head since I first heard it. Add this one to your NWOTHM playlist if you haven’t already! 

On Race to Glory, the guitars vie for their place in the spotlight. It’s worth mentioning again just how great the production is on this record: the interplay of the crunchy guitars in both ears at the beginning of this track is a joy. Huemer dabbles in the fun of the twin guitar players by harmonizing with himself in exceedingly creative ways, a neat trick of the production as well. A relatively short track, this one gets in, rips through a guitar solo, and gets out.

Dynamite picks up the pace next. More than a straightforward rocker, it’s got some delightful twists and turns, including some unexpected high-hat play and some great groove change-ups from Steidl that give this track even more urgency and dynamism. While not as catchy as Radar, Dynamite is still Venator in complete control of their particular sound. This track also has my favorite guitar solo on the record, which, given that the album is full of them and none are duds, is high praise for this track.

Fear the Light gets off the ground with some big bombastic power chords. Another mid-tempo rocker, this one is most memorable for Huemer’s wailing chorus. The pacing of the songs is spot on throughout the record, with slower songs like Fear the Light coming in to change up the tempos without feeling stale or dull. Another excellent guitar solo keeps this one moving forward and, really, this may be the greatest strength of the album: it never feels stuck in place. Astral Seduction closes the album out with some speed metal attitude: fiery guitar leads and more of that lovable, rumbling, Maiden-esque bass tone show Venator at their peak. The tune begins with a high tempo chugging riff that will surely get feet moving in a live setting, and the tempo doesn’t let up until, about halfway through the track, the tempo builds again. The opening riff comes back to close the album out. A fast and furious track like this one that keeps the fun and energy up just makes me want to hit play all over again, exactly what you want from a closing track.

Conclusion

If you’ve got the volume turned up appropriately, Psychodrome is exhilarating from front to back. If Echoes from the Gutter introduced the world of traditional heavy metal to a promising new voice, Psychodrome ups the ante while defending the sound Venator birthed on Echoes. While the band does not stretch too far from the template they laid out on Echoes, they show that they are masters of their domain and not afraid to try some new things, so long as they can integrate those new elements into the sound-identity they have so effectively established for themselves. Still, there are some definitely unexpected twists and turns on Psychodrome that will prove to be enticing surprises for fans of early 80s arena-ready heavy and speed metal. If you aren’t on board yet, what are you waiting for? The ride is wicked fun and the price of admission is low.

TheNWOTHM Score: 9.0/10 

Links

Bandcamp: https://venatorsteelcity.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VenatorHeavyMetal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venator_official

Label: https://dying-victims.de/

Out 25 April 2025

Line-up:
Jakob Steidl – Drums
Anton Holzner – Guitars
Leon Ehrengruber – Guitars
Hans Huemer – Vocals
Stefan Glasner – Bass