Sanctuary Records/Castle Music has set a March 24 German release date (March 27 in the rest of Europe) for British black metal pioneers VENOM's new album, "Metal Black". Check out the album cover artwork at this location.

"Metal Black" was mixed at the Townhouse Studios in London and contains 14 new songs, including "Antechrist", the demo for which can be heard at this location.

"Metal Black" track listing:

01. Antechrist
02. Burn In Hell
03. House of Pain
04. Death & Dying
05. Rege Satanas
06. Darkest Realm
07. A Good Day to Die
08. Assassin
09. Lucifer Rising
10. Blessed Dead
11. Hours of Darkness
12. Sleep When I'm Dead
13. Maleficarvm
14. Metal Black

According to an official press release, "Metal Black" "sees original founder band member Cronos creating a new masterpiece of metal together with [drummer] Antton and [guitarist] Mykvs. With 14 brand new roaring and vital tracks, VENOM are again taking the goat by the horns and reinventing their own original style . . . 'Metal Black' [is] an album that harkens back to the writing style of the '80s VENOM with a powerful production to incinerate any sound system, truly demonic in every sense and with the delivery of a charging beast."

Commented Mykvs: "The album has a very raw feel. The intensity of the songs is awesome. We recorded the album as a live band, three demons bleeding for the heaviest metal we could create, and our new album will show that VENOM keeps getting stronger and heavier. Lay down your souls, muthafuckers, we have returned."

Upcoming VENOM shows:

Mar. 23 - Glasgow, UK @ Garage
Mar. 25 - London, UK @ Mean Fiddler
Mar. 26 - Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
Jun. 8-10 - Sölvesborg, SWE @ Sweden Rock Festival

VENOM are planning additional European dates and are also looking at hitting America by early summer.

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