Review by Adam M on August 7, 2025.

This is a fun album that has some of the catchiest thrash tracks that the band has made on it.  It is a distinctive album with difficult to digest vocals and a classic style to it.  This was an important album for thrash because of the amount of memorable tracks to be found on it.  It is also a very concise work that will be most attractive to hardcore thrash fans.

The musicianship on this work is very strong with sharp guitars and potent drumming.  Atop of all this Bobby Blitz’s excellent singing which is a highlight of the work.  The overall quality of the musicianship is high for a thrash album, but not particularly unbelievable either.  This is a well performed album that never fails to raise a pulse.

There are few flaws to be found, but perhaps the album lacks the flashiness of classic Metalllica albums, for example.  It is more straightforward and perhaps more appealing to fans of the vocalist in particular.  There is not quite the distinctive aspect of albums like Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets.

All in all, this is a classic thrash album with tracks like “Blood Money” that will become ingrained in your mind.  There are several moments that will become part of your subconscious.  There is very little to dislike here and this is a classic album through and through.

Rating: 8.1/10

Review by Felix on May 18, 2019.

Heavyweight, deadly riffs drag the listener down. The few ones who can withstand these riffs are taken by extremely hefty, doomy guitars which create an enormous vortex in order to get him or her deep under the surface of toxic waters. Welcome to "Horrorscope", the track. Overkill, now a five-piece with two debutants in the guitars, check out the limits in terms of doom. The melody grinds slowly and mercilessly, it's a real feast to become witness to this steamroller, even for stubborn speed lovers like me. "Horrorscope", that much is certain, marks a worthy title track, albeit it does not show a representative approach. 

The 6th album of New York's most persistent music formation offers an appropriately wide spectrum. Pretty fast thrashers stand shoulder to shoulder with melancholic feelings and cynical or desperate sections. But the main ingredient is the solid mixture of power and thrash metal which forms especially the tracks of the first half. The more or less experimental side of the band comes through during the second part, albeit the dudes do not develop completely new territories. Positively expressed, the guys avoid any kind of song that could damage their integrity.

"Coma" opens the album with a stage-setting acoustic intro - "Bare Bones" also shines with a spooky opening sequence - and its thrusting guitars ensure a good drive of this eerie mid-paced monument. The song conveys this uncomfortable feeling that separates real metal from radio-friendly rock music. Not to mention the great, intensive ending of this track. The following songs commute between up-tempo and mid-paced parts, they don't lack substance, the new guitarists show their skills and perform strong riffs, leads and solos. In addition, a proper number of breaks does not hurt the flow of the easily comprehensible tracks. In particular the faster sections make clear that the band still does not lack energy and the partly lame The Years of Decay falls more and more in oblivion as I listen to the here presented material. Overkill have never been the most technical formation, but the sharpness of tracks like "Blood Money" illustrate that they are able to score with pretty sharp riffs and an appropriate degree of accuracy. Either way, the first handful of songs always appears to me as a very homogeneous unit with "Coma" being the first among equals.

As already mentioned, the title track gives the album a new direction. This unstoppably rotating millstone sets the stage for another rather mid-paced beast. The stomping "New Machine" has this apocalyptic, oppressive mood that reflects the dictatorial regime which is described in the lyrics. This would be a good soundtrack for a remake of "1984" or "Brave New World" - or you use this music to accompany the pictures of your last holiday in North Korea on YouTube. Kin Jong Un will love you and the slightly industrialized last part of the song. To be honest, I am not quite sure whether he will enjoy this track, but due to whatever reason, I want to have at least one thing in common with this special type of terrorist. 

Too bad that two of the last four tracks do not keep the exciting level of songs like "New Machine". Especially the instrumental cover version should be banned. It hurts the flow of the full-length and remains a foreign body. But shit happens, and it is of greater relevance that the properly produced album also scores with two highlights on the last meters. The speedy "Live Young, Die Free" and the thematically connected "Nice Day for a Funeral" with its riffs of steel complement each other ideally. No doubt, the band scores with a good teamwork. Led by Blitz, whose voice reinforces the mood of every track, the instrumentalists, play their parts flawlessly and present themselves as a well aligned combat unit. In view of all these factors, Horrorscope has never had the chance to gather dust on my shelf. And "Horrorscope" (the track) has more to offer than the whole repertoire of some lame doom bands, for example ______ (please make your choice).

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on August 7, 2025.

This is a fun album that has some of the catchiest thrash tracks that the band has made on it.  It is a distinctive album with difficult to digest vocals and a classic style to it.  This was an important album for thrash because of the amount of memorable tracks to be found on it.  It is also a very concise work that will be most attractive to hardcore thrash fans.

The musicianship on this work is very strong with sharp guitars and potent drumming.  Atop of all this Bobby Blitz’s excellent singing which is a highlight of the work.  The overall quality of the musicianship is high for a thrash album, but not particularly unbelievable either.  This is a well performed album that never fails to raise a pulse.

There are few flaws to be found, but perhaps the album lacks the flashiness of classic Metalllica albums, for example.  It is more straightforward and perhaps more appealing to fans of the vocalist in particular.  There is not quite the distinctive aspect of albums like Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets.

All in all, this is a classic thrash album with tracks like “Blood Money” that will become ingrained in your mind.  There are several moments that will become part of your subconscious.  There is very little to dislike here and this is a classic album through and through.

Rating: 8.1/10

Review by Felix on May 18, 2019.

Heavyweight, deadly riffs drag the listener down. The few ones who can withstand these riffs are taken by extremely hefty, doomy guitars which create an enormous vortex in order to get him or her deep under the surface of toxic waters. Welcome to "Horrorscope", the track. Overkill, now a five-piece with two debutants in the guitars, check out the limits in terms of doom. The melody grinds slowly and mercilessly, it's a real feast to become witness to this steamroller, even for stubborn speed lovers like me. "Horrorscope", that much is certain, marks a worthy title track, albeit it does not show a representative approach. 

The 6th album of New York's most persistent music formation offers an appropriately wide spectrum. Pretty fast thrashers stand shoulder to shoulder with melancholic feelings and cynical or desperate sections. But the main ingredient is the solid mixture of power and thrash metal which forms especially the tracks of the first half. The more or less experimental side of the band comes through during the second part, albeit the dudes do not develop completely new territories. Positively expressed, the guys avoid any kind of song that could damage their integrity.

"Coma" opens the album with a stage-setting acoustic intro - "Bare Bones" also shines with a spooky opening sequence - and its thrusting guitars ensure a good drive of this eerie mid-paced monument. The song conveys this uncomfortable feeling that separates real metal from radio-friendly rock music. Not to mention the great, intensive ending of this track. The following songs commute between up-tempo and mid-paced parts, they don't lack substance, the new guitarists show their skills and perform strong riffs, leads and solos. In addition, a proper number of breaks does not hurt the flow of the easily comprehensible tracks. In particular the faster sections make clear that the band still does not lack energy and the partly lame The Years of Decay falls more and more in oblivion as I listen to the here presented material. Overkill have never been the most technical formation, but the sharpness of tracks like "Blood Money" illustrate that they are able to score with pretty sharp riffs and an appropriate degree of accuracy. Either way, the first handful of songs always appears to me as a very homogeneous unit with "Coma" being the first among equals.

As already mentioned, the title track gives the album a new direction. This unstoppably rotating millstone sets the stage for another rather mid-paced beast. The stomping "New Machine" has this apocalyptic, oppressive mood that reflects the dictatorial regime which is described in the lyrics. This would be a good soundtrack for a remake of "1984" or "Brave New World" - or you use this music to accompany the pictures of your last holiday in North Korea on YouTube. Kin Jong Un will love you and the slightly industrialized last part of the song. To be honest, I am not quite sure whether he will enjoy this track, but due to whatever reason, I want to have at least one thing in common with this special type of terrorist. 

Too bad that two of the last four tracks do not keep the exciting level of songs like "New Machine". Especially the instrumental cover version should be banned. It hurts the flow of the full-length and remains a foreign body. But shit happens, and it is of greater relevance that the properly produced album also scores with two highlights on the last meters. The speedy "Live Young, Die Free" and the thematically connected "Nice Day for a Funeral" with its riffs of steel complement each other ideally. No doubt, the band scores with a good teamwork. Led by Blitz, whose voice reinforces the mood of every track, the instrumentalists, play their parts flawlessly and present themselves as a well aligned combat unit. In view of all these factors, Horrorscope has never had the chance to gather dust on my shelf. And "Horrorscope" (the track) has more to offer than the whole repertoire of some lame doom bands, for example ______ (please make your choice).

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on August 7, 2025.

This is a fun album that has some of the catchiest thrash tracks that the band has made on it.  It is a distinctive album with difficult to digest vocals and a classic style to it.  This was an important album for thrash because of the amount of memorable tracks to be found on it.  It is also a very concise work that will be most attractive to hardcore thrash fans.

The musicianship on this work is very strong with sharp guitars and potent drumming.  Atop of all this Bobby Blitz’s excellent singing which is a highlight of the work.  The overall quality of the musicianship is high for a thrash album, but not particularly unbelievable either.  This is a well performed album that never fails to raise a pulse.

There are few flaws to be found, but perhaps the album lacks the flashiness of classic Metalllica albums, for example.  It is more straightforward and perhaps more appealing to fans of the vocalist in particular.  There is not quite the distinctive aspect of albums like Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets.

All in all, this is a classic thrash album with tracks like “Blood Money” that will become ingrained in your mind.  There are several moments that will become part of your subconscious.  There is very little to dislike here and this is a classic album through and through.

Rating: 8.1/10

Review by Felix on May 18, 2019.

Heavyweight, deadly riffs drag the listener down. The few ones who can withstand these riffs are taken by extremely hefty, doomy guitars which create an enormous vortex in order to get him or her deep under the surface of toxic waters. Welcome to "Horrorscope", the track. Overkill, now a five-piece with two debutants in the guitars, check out the limits in terms of doom. The melody grinds slowly and mercilessly, it's a real feast to become witness to this steamroller, even for stubborn speed lovers like me. "Horrorscope", that much is certain, marks a worthy title track, albeit it does not show a representative approach. 

The 6th album of New York's most persistent music formation offers an appropriately wide spectrum. Pretty fast thrashers stand shoulder to shoulder with melancholic feelings and cynical or desperate sections. But the main ingredient is the solid mixture of power and thrash metal which forms especially the tracks of the first half. The more or less experimental side of the band comes through during the second part, albeit the dudes do not develop completely new territories. Positively expressed, the guys avoid any kind of song that could damage their integrity.

"Coma" opens the album with a stage-setting acoustic intro - "Bare Bones" also shines with a spooky opening sequence - and its thrusting guitars ensure a good drive of this eerie mid-paced monument. The song conveys this uncomfortable feeling that separates real metal from radio-friendly rock music. Not to mention the great, intensive ending of this track. The following songs commute between up-tempo and mid-paced parts, they don't lack substance, the new guitarists show their skills and perform strong riffs, leads and solos. In addition, a proper number of breaks does not hurt the flow of the easily comprehensible tracks. In particular the faster sections make clear that the band still does not lack energy and the partly lame The Years of Decay falls more and more in oblivion as I listen to the here presented material. Overkill have never been the most technical formation, but the sharpness of tracks like "Blood Money" illustrate that they are able to score with pretty sharp riffs and an appropriate degree of accuracy. Either way, the first handful of songs always appears to me as a very homogeneous unit with "Coma" being the first among equals.

As already mentioned, the title track gives the album a new direction. This unstoppably rotating millstone sets the stage for another rather mid-paced beast. The stomping "New Machine" has this apocalyptic, oppressive mood that reflects the dictatorial regime which is described in the lyrics. This would be a good soundtrack for a remake of "1984" or "Brave New World" - or you use this music to accompany the pictures of your last holiday in North Korea on YouTube. Kin Jong Un will love you and the slightly industrialized last part of the song. To be honest, I am not quite sure whether he will enjoy this track, but due to whatever reason, I want to have at least one thing in common with this special type of terrorist. 

Too bad that two of the last four tracks do not keep the exciting level of songs like "New Machine". Especially the instrumental cover version should be banned. It hurts the flow of the full-length and remains a foreign body. But shit happens, and it is of greater relevance that the properly produced album also scores with two highlights on the last meters. The speedy "Live Young, Die Free" and the thematically connected "Nice Day for a Funeral" with its riffs of steel complement each other ideally. No doubt, the band scores with a good teamwork. Led by Blitz, whose voice reinforces the mood of every track, the instrumentalists, play their parts flawlessly and present themselves as a well aligned combat unit. In view of all these factors, Horrorscope has never had the chance to gather dust on my shelf. And "Horrorscope" (the track) has more to offer than the whole repertoire of some lame doom bands, for example ______ (please make your choice).

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Adam M on August 7, 2025.

This is a fun album that has some of the catchiest thrash tracks that the band has made on it.  It is a distinctive album with difficult to digest vocals and a classic style to it.  This was an important album for thrash because of the amount of memorable tracks to be found on it.  It is also a very concise work that will be most attractive to hardcore thrash fans.

The musicianship on this work is very strong with sharp guitars and potent drumming.  Atop of all this Bobby Blitz’s excellent singing which is a highlight of the work.  The overall quality of the musicianship is high for a thrash album, but not particularly unbelievable either.  This is a well performed album that never fails to raise a pulse.

There are few flaws to be found, but perhaps the album lacks the flashiness of classic Metalllica albums, for example.  It is more straightforward and perhaps more appealing to fans of the vocalist in particular.  There is not quite the distinctive aspect of albums like Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets.

All in all, this is a classic thrash album with tracks like “Blood Money” that will become ingrained in your mind.  There are several moments that will become part of your subconscious.  There is very little to dislike here and this is a classic album through and through.

Rating: 8.1/10

Review by Felix on May 18, 2019.

Heavyweight, deadly riffs drag the listener down. The few ones who can withstand these riffs are taken by extremely hefty, doomy guitars which create an enormous vortex in order to get him or her deep under the surface of toxic waters. Welcome to "Horrorscope", the track. Overkill, now a five-piece with two debutants in the guitars, check out the limits in terms of doom. The melody grinds slowly and mercilessly, it's a real feast to become witness to this steamroller, even for stubborn speed lovers like me. "Horrorscope", that much is certain, marks a worthy title track, albeit it does not show a representative approach. 

The 6th album of New York's most persistent music formation offers an appropriately wide spectrum. Pretty fast thrashers stand shoulder to shoulder with melancholic feelings and cynical or desperate sections. But the main ingredient is the solid mixture of power and thrash metal which forms especially the tracks of the first half. The more or less experimental side of the band comes through during the second part, albeit the dudes do not develop completely new territories. Positively expressed, the guys avoid any kind of song that could damage their integrity.

"Coma" opens the album with a stage-setting acoustic intro - "Bare Bones" also shines with a spooky opening sequence - and its thrusting guitars ensure a good drive of this eerie mid-paced monument. The song conveys this uncomfortable feeling that separates real metal from radio-friendly rock music. Not to mention the great, intensive ending of this track. The following songs commute between up-tempo and mid-paced parts, they don't lack substance, the new guitarists show their skills and perform strong riffs, leads and solos. In addition, a proper number of breaks does not hurt the flow of the easily comprehensible tracks. In particular the faster sections make clear that the band still does not lack energy and the partly lame The Years of Decay falls more and more in oblivion as I listen to the here presented material. Overkill have never been the most technical formation, but the sharpness of tracks like "Blood Money" illustrate that they are able to score with pretty sharp riffs and an appropriate degree of accuracy. Either way, the first handful of songs always appears to me as a very homogeneous unit with "Coma" being the first among equals.

As already mentioned, the title track gives the album a new direction. This unstoppably rotating millstone sets the stage for another rather mid-paced beast. The stomping "New Machine" has this apocalyptic, oppressive mood that reflects the dictatorial regime which is described in the lyrics. This would be a good soundtrack for a remake of "1984" or "Brave New World" - or you use this music to accompany the pictures of your last holiday in North Korea on YouTube. Kin Jong Un will love you and the slightly industrialized last part of the song. To be honest, I am not quite sure whether he will enjoy this track, but due to whatever reason, I want to have at least one thing in common with this special type of terrorist. 

Too bad that two of the last four tracks do not keep the exciting level of songs like "New Machine". Especially the instrumental cover version should be banned. It hurts the flow of the full-length and remains a foreign body. But shit happens, and it is of greater relevance that the properly produced album also scores with two highlights on the last meters. The speedy "Live Young, Die Free" and the thematically connected "Nice Day for a Funeral" with its riffs of steel complement each other ideally. No doubt, the band scores with a good teamwork. Led by Blitz, whose voice reinforces the mood of every track, the instrumentalists, play their parts flawlessly and present themselves as a well aligned combat unit. In view of all these factors, Horrorscope has never had the chance to gather dust on my shelf. And "Horrorscope" (the track) has more to offer than the whole repertoire of some lame doom bands, for example ______ (please make your choice).

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by Chris Pratl on December 18, 2017.

For the better part of 30-years the coveted Assault series by Venom has been some of the unholiest of grail records to try and complete. I know it personally took me 20-years to assemble all seven of the original records, a task that took me to the furthest reaches of the planet and saw me disseminate ungodly amounts of money to add them to my collection. Amazingly enough, I've come to find that a few of these releases were, indeed, bootleg editions never authorized by the Newcastle trio, but to a then-14-year old Legion this mattered very little.

These mini-LP's were all released over time between 1985 and 1988, and now all of these years later Dissonance Productions out of the U.K. has seen fit to reissue all of them in a nifty little box set for an equally nifty little price. The set contains all seven of the unholy collections: American Assault, Canadian Assault, French Assault, Japanese Assault, German Assault and Scandinavian Assault, most seeing CD release for the first time (save for Japanese Assault, which was released on the VAP label out of Japan on both CD and vinyl back in the late 80's).

For the absolute Venom enthusiast, of which there are countless numbers, this is a necessary hodge-podge of studio and live tracks, with the occasional interview thrown in for measure. While I had a  feeling that the original sources for this set would be vinyl (and I was right) the charm and value of the set isn't diminished one iota. The box contains seven nice replica cardboard sleeves completely reminiscent of the old album covers; it really does appear that some care was put into the assemblage of the set, albeit devoid of a booklet or any additional info about the individual releases. In this case the content can, quite emphatically, stand all on its own. Upon their original releases, these were EP's that had both live tracks (some taken from the Alive in '85 or Live at Hammersmith videos respectively) and some rare singles and b-sides. If you are the aforementioned lifelong Venom Legion, these tracks and collections will be no surprise to you, but for newer and older arm's-length fans alike this set provides a wondrous trip back to a time when scouring the local record stores for these records was an all-consuming affair. My personal copy of Canadian Assault carries with it a tale of two best friends beating the hell out of each other in the record store over this evil slab of wax way back in 1985. This band had strange effects of some of us...yet I offer no apologies. Venom fans are notoriously sentimental when it comes to their personal collections, and these Assault records managed to elude some of us for years. I eventually found my Japanese Assault vinyl through the age-old “guy that knows a guy that knows another guy” and paid a hefty amount for it. The CD I procured some time after that was a little less of a challenge (a classified ad in the back of an old trade mag called Goldmine), but nevertheless it was exciting to add these coveted treasures to my library. Now the masses at hand can add all of these little Assault gems to their own personal arsenals in one fell swoop.

So, all of my personal reflections aside, is the set actually worth the price of admission? As a fan I say yes, it's a nice addition to the collection. Now, as a reviewer with my reputation on the line? I still offer a cautionary yes, the caution being that, again, the source material is from vinyl. For those of us that find a charm in those pops and clicks between tracks, this is nothing short of wanton nostalgia nipping at our elder heels, and it's a welcome look back. That said, there are some audiophiles out there that want nothing to do with a CD sourced from vinyl, and that's all well and good – it would serve you folks to heed this warning before purchasing the set.

All of this aside, yes, we have another collection of “hits” from Venom to go along with the 100 other compilations lying around out there occupying space, but there is a real sense of treasure attached to this one if you're so inclined to accept such wonderful trivialities into your head. 

Rating: 9 out of 10