FIVE DEADLY VENOMS

------- -------------------------5/5------------------------------------- 'Five Deadly Stars' for 'Five Deadly Venom'. Innovation, creativity and execution at its cohesive best is how I will describe this one of a kind album by always amazing and unique Shaolin Death Squad. This album represents improvement and maturity in songwriting of the band from previous masterpiece 'Intelligent Designs' and the album tops 'Intelligent Designs' in quality as well. Acoustic ballad one second suddenly shifting to black metal blast beating with atmospheric background the very next is what would describe Shaolin Death Squad's music and they continue in the same vein throughout this album too. There are no other bands that sound similar or even come close to what SDS sound like. They are able to incorporate absolute polar in musical terms in their tunes and still sound like they do it effortlessly and this album is no exception. All in all I'm not over exaggerating while I say that this is one of the very best progressive metal albums ever created in its own way. All tracks in this album are awesome. The first six are influenced from the movie of same title and their contents are directly related to movie both musically and lyrically that describe different techniques and trickeries learned in Kung Fu. After the acoustic intro 'Romanza', the best song that SDS have ever performed follows in 'Centipede'. The song is both catchy and technical at the same time. Songs 'Snake', 'Scorpion', 'Lizard', and 'Toad' follows. All of the songs are really good containing signature SDS style of continuous tempo changes from acoustic slow verses to fast intense drumming to catchy choruses and really memorable licks throughout the songs. Another good thing about SDS' music is that there is never over exaggeration of any instruments. They are able to maintain a perfect balance between their guitar, bass, keyboards and drums. So even though no instrument stands off from other they form a really cohesive unit together. The only drawback I found in this album unlike 'Intelligent Designs' is that songs when listened to many times feel like almost alike in composition to what I've described above. Surprisingly an instrumental 'Mischief and Epiphany' follows which is a really cool number. The instrumental is little funky sounding in the beginning which gradually changes into that SDS innovative atmospheric level soon and the guitar parts in this are really cool especially the repetitive lick. The last three songs 'Let Us Welcome the Actors', 'Last Stand' and 'Farewell' then have really cinematic feeling about them and they too are vintage SDS songs in which the standout track is 'Farewell' which is really unique track surrounding a heavy keyboard riff throughout the song, almost ballad like. The final song 'Peace Be Upon You' is a fitting end to the album and the song contains guitar sections like you've never heard SDS play before. Whole song contains guitar shredding from beginning to the end. 'Five Deadly Venom' is a very underrated and obscured album which is highly recommended to all progressive metal fans. It is not your everyday prog metal album with 100mph guitar shredding, complex instrumentation, high pitch vocals but it is a genius and highly artistic and I only hope more and more people lay their hands on this masterful art and appreciate it. Can't wait for whatever SDS throw at us in the future!