MMV

really good

Having been a diehard Venom fan and an avid collector for years i was sceptical when i first heard about a Venom boxset since most boxsets are usually a "Best of" with little other than the exclusivity of the box to distinguish it from another "best of" cd, let alone the fact that every year a new Venom compilation album appears usually with a new cover.This, however, is different...The box (normal box not folding paperback case) contains 4 cds in standard jewel case and the majority of the tracks are either the "single" version, outtake, live or other unreleased tracks. The cds are in plain flat black which i feel is really fitting of Venom and look great. The tracks included cover all periods up to "Cast In Stone" but exclude the "Mk2" period when Tony Dolan was on vocals. A total of 8 tracks appear on cd for the first time. Also included are tracks like the "intro tapes" used before the start of a Venom gig and radio and Tv adverts; all this really conveys a nostalgic atmosphere from an era when Venom was dominating the metal scene.Die hard fans will be pleased to know that Disc 4 contains the infamous "Assault series" (a series of very rare LPs on vinyl only, trully a Venom collector's grail) and also Disc 3 includes the track "Senile Decay" which up until now was only available on vinyl. The "Assault" series and "Senile Decay" is enough reason for Venom fans to get the boxset.Sound quality is very good, definitely better than the album sound, especially considering the age of some songs (some are almost 25 years old!) and the lack of production of Venom songs until the "Possessed" album. The sound is loud, gritty and powerful, exactly how Venom should sound!A very nice 60 page booklet is included which includes many photographs and interviews, many of which are very rare (taken from the band's archive) and also a complete timeline and discography of the band (which unlike other similar attempts is very complete and accurate). This must be attributed to Cronos who personally took time to ensure that this boxset would be something special and offer fans something special. Also included is a poster from the "Seven Dates of Hell" tour, in which a then promising young band called Metallica opened the gigs for Venom.The quality of the box as well as the booklet is a really pleasant surprise especially when one compares it to other boxsets on the market. It should be noted that the paper the booklet is printed is not like other similar papers that gets stained with fingerprints when you touch it. The layout of the book and the box is very nice, it is filled with little details that Venom fans will appreciate like the infamous logo "Home taping is killing music. So are Venom".Overall I have to say I am extremely impressed with MMV in all aspects: content, value and quality.This boxset offers true value for money even for a simple metal fan who only heard of (or read about) Venom as part of Metal's history. It contains a lot of information and historical background, a selection of classic, rare and previously unreleased tracks and the infamous Assault series (this alone is enough reason for many people to buy MMV).