It’s quite fitting that the latest from Venomous Maximus gets reviewed in the same issue of MSJ as Black Sabbath’s 13. Not because the records sound that much alike, but because they represent opposite ends of a circle. Black Sabbath are arguably the band that started the genre of dark, doomy heavy metal and 13 is likely the end of the road for them. Texas’ Venomous Maximus are just at the start of their career and herald a new era of the music that Sabbath pioneered.

The good thing about Beg upon the Light is that it is not just another imitation of Black Sabbath. This band is determined to create their own sound - and they succeed. There is certainly some of that gloomy Sabbath sound here, but there are influences from Thin Lizzy and dark prog rock as well as more modern influences like Mastodon.  The band has a unique and very organic sound, with the very dramatic vocals of one Gregg Higgins leading the way. Higgins’s emotional singing may be hard for some to adapt to, especially when he ventures into snarls and bellows, but he’s a big part of what makes Venomous Maximus an original experience.

Beg upon the Light is an album that demands multiple listens to get all the nuances out of it. It’s not often these days we hear acts bursting out of the starting gate with their own identity, so enjoy this one and muse on the possibilities of what Venomous Maximus might create in the future!

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2013  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

A prolonged, eerie organ note starts this off, leading into a very spacey and early 70s prog feel. It’s a little like “Tubular Bells.” It does sound a lot like funeral music and serves as a super atmospheric opening introduction to the album.