U.K. death-metal firebrands Venom Prison are a supergroup unto themselves. Led by rabble-rousing vocalist Larissa Stupar, the fast-rising and critically acclaimed quintet are one of the most exciting extreme-metal bands on the circuit at the moment. Their debut LP, Animus, was something of a revelation upon its 2016 release, reclaiming as it did the violent, often-misogynistic tropes of death metal and flipping them brilliantly. As high a bar as the album set, but the young band managed to take things up a notch with their follow-up full-length, 2019’s Samsara. Need evidence? Check out lead single “Uterine Industrialisation” — savage and knotty, it breaks into almost–Lamb of God–level groove at times while Stupar roars and growls, taking on the issue of forced pregnancy and religious hypocrisy with blunt force.
As savage as they are on record, Venom Prison are even more ferocious live onstage — as they’ll showcase later this year when they open for Parkway Drive, Hatebreed and Stick to Your Guns on the “Viva the Underdogs – European Revolution” 2020 tour. Ahead of the trek, we asked guitarist Ash Gray to imagine his dream supergroup, comprised of musicians, alive or dead, or any era and genre. He put together an amazing fantasy band. Read on.
Chuck Schuldiner, Death
This guy shreds — he wrote some of the coolest records. Death rule.
Rob Halford, Judas Priest
Need this guy’s pipes in the band. He would be my top pick, easily.
Bill Steer, Carcass
I love Carcass — I can’t say more than that.
Shane Embury, Napalm Death
The guy shreds that bass, simple as that.
David McGraw, Cattle Decapitation
I love Cattle Decap and that drumming is next level.
