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Written during the band’s tour supporting High On Fire and Pallbearer, it’s hardly surprising that Venomous Maxmimus’s new outing delivers a neck-abusing onslaught of thick, metal riffage. Thankfully, their third full-length is anything but a classic metal rehash of 2015’s Firewalker. Fixing their gaze back on the early 80s, Gregg Higgins’ funereal post-punk vocals invest the tracks with an icy foreboding that steers just clear of camp. Belters like the title track and closer Sea Of Sleep bristle with chugging NWOBHM riffs and moody swagger, as if Saxon and The Sisters Of Mercy had holed up in a candlelit basement, drinking absinthe and jamming ’til dawn. Offsetting the steelplated fretwork that dominates the heavier cuts, two acoustic tracks, All Of My Dreams and the instrumental Endless, showcase a gratifying sense of ambition, though not quite matched by the quality of songwriting on either. This isn’t ‘occult metal’ – No Warning stands on its own as a rich and captivating slab of thoroughly modern metal.

Hailing from San Diego, California, Joe Daly is an award-winning music journalist with over thirty years experience. Since 2010, Joe has been a regular contributor for Metal Hammer, penning cover features, news stories, album reviews and other content. Joe also writes for Classic Rock, Bass Player, Men’s Health and Outburn magazines. He has served as Music Editor for several online outlets and he has been a contributor for SPIN, the BBC and a frequent guest on several podcasts. When he’s not serenading his neighbours with black metal, Joe enjoys playing hockey, beating on his bass and fawning over his dogs.