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I can't believe it's been five years already since Avé. I've had the occasion to see Venom Inc. live a couple of times and I can say that, if you're looking for some intense, high-octane and fun live performance, you don't want to miss them if they come anywhere near you (or even a bit farther). Moving on...

Just like Avé, There's Only Black didn't really do it for me on the first couple of listens, but then it clicked. I don't want to compare it too much with its predecessor as they are different enough to make comparisons somewhat meaningless, but I'd say this is a little darker and heavier and not quite as catchy—though that last comment shouldn't be seen as a negative in this case. Lots of speed here and the guitars could slice through the hardest elements known, pretty much going beyond razor-sharp here. My neck has been hurting trying to keep up with these crazy motherfuckers. Lots of thrash here, but also quite a few nods to pure unadulterated traditional metal, especially in some of the solos that can sweep you off your feet. No surprises on the vocal side, still top-notch and in the same vein as on Avé, completely decipherable and some of those vocal lines are quite inviting for a little singalong. There's Only Black is an intense speedfest of heavy/thrash/speed metal that retains the roots of the Venom experience while keeping things fresh. The only thing that I can't get over is the artwork where the name of the band is no longer a logo, which makes the album cover look quite inoffensive compared to the debut. But that has nothing to do with the killer music found inside.