For many, the name Dave Lombardo may well summon memories of Slayer’s demonic backbone, and there’s certainly no doubt that he is one of the most powerful percussive forces on the planet. Yet, those who have followed Dave’s career over the years will know that this skilled musician is possessed of an eclectic talent that has seen him work with everyone from John Zorn to Mike Patton, and it is this eclecticism that sits at the heart of To Cross Or To Burn. A collaboration with his equally talented wife, Paula, Venamoris is a showcase not only for Paula’s wonderfully smoky vocals, but also her skilful songwriting which, while unique, takes inspiration from a range of sources including Nine Inch Nails, Beth Hart, Mike Patton, and Massive Attack.
The album opens with Stay With Me, a brief, fizzy overture that emerges from the static of an old 45 to find only Paula and a stand-up bass in evidence. When it does snap into a modern focus, it is only to add strings, and it is easy to imagine Paula performing the piece alone on a velvet-drenched stage as the audience watch with rapt attention. It’s followed by the gothic melodrama and trip-hop flow of In The Shadows (think Ava Adorecovered by Davidge), Dave’s light-touch percussion backing a track that is primarily driven by rhythmic synth and atmospheric guitars. It’s a frankly wonderful piece of music, beautifully arranged and delivered with a simmering intensity that lingers long in the memory. No less impressive, the late-night musings of Truth finds Venamoris combining the raw emotion of Beth Hart with the soundscapes of Portishead to monumental effect. With Dave’s drums lost in a haze of cavernous delay, there’s an ocean of space into which Paula’s stunningly liquid vocals pour, leaving the listener to drift languidly in their wake.
Having established the sound of the album, the Lombardos expand their horizons on Stain Of Pain which, despite its Slayer-esque title, delights in some truly jaw dropping, flamenco-inspired guitar. It’s followed by the dreamy pop of Spiderweb, which finds Paula and Dave crosspollinating the Cure. Depeche Mode, and Carly Simon for a track that offers up surprisingly gritty guitars and a gloriously addictive chorus. A dynamic piece, it’s a testament to the sympathetic relationship the Lombardos share, and it neatly underscores the quality of Paula’s songwriting.
Opening the second half of the album, Burnt Paper offers the sort of beautiful, music-box melody that Peter Gabriel might have attempted during his time with Genesis, while Paula indulges a breathier stye of singing that touches on Kate Bush’s glorious art pop along the way. It’s a beautiful, darkly atmospheric track that builds over Dave’s tribal percussion before Venamoris edge into the tougher Holding On To Nothing. Layered with distortion, and underpinned with atypical rhythms, it’s a haunting piece, although even this fails to prepare the listener for the crackling hard rock of Animal Magnetism. A full-on industrial monster that owes a debt to Nine Inch Nails, it blazes with the intensity of unrequited lust, the guitars howling in response to Paula’s understated vocal. Then there’s another track with a strong NIN-pulse, albeit filtered through the lens of Melissa Auf der Maur. Titled Numb, it is the soundtrack to insomnia, the late-night regrets piling upon your overheated brain as you lay in a tangled mess of sweat-soaked sheets and half-formed dreams. It leaves this excellent and eclectic album to conclude with the breathy prog-pop of To Cross Or To Burn, which seems to take something from all of the above, to provide the album with a conclusion that also serves as a summary.
To Cross Or To Burn is a magical album. You could argue that it harks back to when pop music was something to be admired, made by bands with real instruments and artistic intent, rather than the increasingly anodyne commercial enterprise it is today. Certainly, it proves surprisingly wide ranging, with influences from Peter Gabriel and Hole to Nine Inch Nails and Portishead. Progressive, yet pop; occasionally metallic, yet alternative; the focal point may be Paula’s stunning voice, but the music is too good to languish in the shadows, and it’s clear that Paula and Dave share a bond that is as strong musically as it is matrimonial. The results are gloriously unique while, in Ipecac, Venamoris have found the perfect label to bring their mesmerising music to a whole new audience. 9/10
