Venator | Psychodrome | Dying Victims Productions

 

 Venator, hailing from Linz, Austria, formed in 2016 and steadily carved their name into the contemporary underground with a sharp sense for classic heavy metal revivalism. Their breakthrough began with the 2020 EP “Paradiser,” which was later shared with Angel Blade on a split LP by Dying Victims Productions. That release revealed a band rooted deeply in the sound and spirit of 1983—not as a gimmick, but as a genuine expression of musical identity. When their full-length debut, “Echoes From The Gutter,” landed in 2022, it confirmed what many already suspected: Venator were not just emulators but contributors to the current of traditional heavy metal.

Following consistent live activity and stage-sharing with bands like Megaton Sword and Toxikull, the band returns in 2025 with “Psychodrome”, their second full-length. While the title and painted sci-fi/horror-inspired artwork strike with immediate visual power, it is the music itself that affirms Venator’s position. The album expands their base with a slightly broader palette while staying loyal to what they’ve built. The sound remains driven by tight dual-guitar leads, sturdy rhythm work, and Hans Huemer’s raw and emotionally charged vocal delivery.

The pacing across “Psychodrome” leans more on groove and tension than on sheer speed, with the band often favoring thick mid-tempos that recall the classic metal years of 1984 and 1985. While not devoid of energetic upticks, Venator deploys those changes with precision. Their songwriting favors cohesion over chaos, and across ten tracks, there's a continuous atmosphere—cinematic at moments but rooted in the dirt and grit of the heavy metal underground.

The sound is organic and true to the band’s core. Guitars carry a strong, twin-engine character—melodic yet forceful. The bass remains grounded and supports the weight of the compositions, while drums carry the necessary punch without excess. Vocally, Huemer delivers his lines with more intensity than technical flair, but that choice adds to the sincerity. The lyrics walk the line between pulp horror themes and streetwise metal mythos, merging the fantasy of the “Psychodrome” concept with a genuine feeling of danger and rebellion.

The album is not about redefining anything, but it doesn’t need to be. What Venator offers is an honest continuation of the heavy metal thread—not stuck in the past, but undeniably shaped by it. Their approach is confident, and “Psychodrome” plays like the soundtrack to a fever dream in VHS static, neon smoke, and leather.

It’s a consistent album that rides high on mood, tone, and songcraft without overstepping itself. For fans of old-school energy delivered with modern conviction—and for those still hungry for the ghost of 1984—this is a worthy addition to the lineage. Venator are not replicating; they’re breathing in it.

Score: 8.7