Warthur
The original Venom lineup reunited after a decade apart to bring about this new studio album, and whilst it isn't held to be as influential as their first albums, equally it's far from an embarrassment. Ultimately, you go to a Venom album expecting a few simple things - a raw and dirty sound, fast-paced thrashy songs, and a real fun time, and Cast In Stone delivers all three just as much as Welcome to Hell or Black Metal did. The worst thing you can say about this album is that if you've already got Venom's first couple of releases, there isn't really much reason to keep hold of this, since this is just the same schtick but a little bit more tired out and a little bit less fresh than it was when the band were young and hungry. The reunion wouldn't last, but at least they gave us a reminder of what made early Venom such a rare (and, for many, guilty) pleasure.