Venom

On Venom the band turned back to face their first two records. In a January 2015 interview Matt Tuck said that Colin Richardson — who had made The Poison and Scream Aim Fire — would produce, and that this would be their heaviest album yet. The front half, running "No Way Out" into "Army of Noise" and "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)", is the sound of them getting hold of Scream Aim Fire's thrash speed again. On 9 February 2015, during the sessions, the band announced that Jason 'Jay' James, their bassist of more than twelve years, had left. Jamie Mathias, previously of the Welsh band Revoker, was introduced as his replacement alongside the album itself. A four-piece from Wales is what they remained. "No Way Out" arrived in May, "You Want a Battle? (Here's a War)" on 29 June, the title track's film on 16 October and "Worthless" on 8 February the following year. The album was released worldwide on 14 August, and Sony Music issued the Japanese edition on 19 August as SICP 4510. That Japanese edition is generous: seven extra tracks, among them a live medley that runs from "Hand of Blood" straight through to "Riot" — five songs in one piece, and a fair picture of what their stage sounded like at the time.