It has not been much time since I reviewed THROWDOWN's single CD Holy Roller. That release prepared me for what was going to follow with the band's brand new full-length effort and I was sure that if it was that good as I expected it to be it would kick some major ass. It seems that I was wrong. The album is not as good as the single CD. It is much more than good. It is probably the best release for 2007, in my humble opinion of course!

The US metallers have managed to amaze me so much that Venom & Tears hasn't left my CD player since the time it got in there! The band has improved a lot and it seems that nothing will be able to stop them at their way to the top. After two incredible releases, the great Hardcore Haymaker (2003) and Vendetta (2005) which took the band's sound closer to the Hardcore/Thrash/Groove style, THROWDOWN are back with their brand new (fifth) studio album.

The band's orientation has become much thrashier with many groovy touches. This time you will not have to face a pure Hardcore band that will remind you of HATEBREED or TERROR, but a band that gathered the elements of great acts like old METALLICA, PANTERA, EXHORDER and MACHINE HEAD and mixed them up to create one of the best albums of the last years and definitely the best album of 2007! HATEBREED's influence on the band has been replaced with PANTERA's whiskey soaked tunes and Bay Area's catchy Thrash Metal and the result is something more than amazing. The Californian quartet has probably disappointed the old true fans, but has also gained many new fans that desperately seek for PANTERA's replacement. I know that what I am going to say may sound a bit sacrilegious, since I am a devoted PANTERA fan, too, but I think that with this album, THROWDOWN are the most worthy band to have this title.

The lyrical themes remain strong, violent and rebellious, as they always were and even though some SLAYER and SEPULTURA lurk around (along with all the other bands I mentioned above), the Hardcore feeling is still here to remind us of the band's roots. The guitar work has become incredibly Metal and the rhythm section has perfectly combined speed and aggressiveness with mid tempo catchy moments making you headbang until your heads rolls on the floor. The sound is also heavy and incredibly solid thanks to Andrew Murdock (AVENGED SEVENFOLD, GODSMACK) who was behind the console for the production of Venom & Tears.

I think that the only negative thing about this band is that they embrace the straight edge ethics. I would really like to meet these guys some time while drinking a bottle of good old whiskey and smoking some... (cough cough) cigarettes. Anyway, as a humble editor of Metal Temple online magazine, I can say that this is probably the best and heaviest album of 2007 (except if something really good dethrones THROWDOWN). I recommend you get the fuck out of your house and buy this Thrash/Hardcore masterpiece! You will also find a SEPULTURA cover that will blow your brains out (even though I read somewhere that it is a bonus track in the iTunes version). That's all from me. Now get the fuck out and go buy it!