The dark-pop duo, VENAMORIS, comprised of thrash-metal legend Dave Lombardo and his wife Paula Lombardo, released their sophomore studio album “To Cross or to Burn” via Ipecac Recordings on February 28th, 2025. It is not a hyperbole to say that Mr. Lombardo almost single-handedly (well, not exactly, considering that the fine art of drumming requires two hands) defined the template for thrash-metal drumming on those revered SLAYER classics. Those following Lombardo‘s musical endeavors in recent years know that he is much more versatile than that, with his résumé boasting anything from hip hop to punk and classical music. In VENAMORIS, his percussion skill set is further reinforced with guitar, bass, and considerable production techniques. Paula Lombardo, in turn, is a dynamic musical force with years of singing experience in the demanding Las Vegas circuit and a deftness on piano and synthesizers. The 2023 debut, “Drown in Emotion,” slipped past my musical radar completely, but judging by this sophomore effort, it is very likely to be something worth checking out as well. Then again, I’m a sucker for this type of amalgamation of jazz noir and Gothic electronica that resonates with the thick air of that delicious, mid-1990s triphop aesthetic. That said, the sonic witchcraft of VENAMORIS is closer to the heart-wrenching, gritty melancholy of PORTISHEAD rather than the pre-millennium tension and spliff-induced paranoia of MASSIVE ATTACK or Tricky from that era.
The album opens with a brief but poignant jazz-noir reverie entitled “Stay With Me,” recalling the vintage jazz ballads of, say, Billie Holiday, with a hint of something a bit more contemporary à la TELEPOPMUSIC. It sets a rather darkly shaded tone for the album, a tone which is further darkened by the Gothic electronica of “In the Shadows,” a song exploring the darker aspects of the human psyche in a somewhat similar vein of Chelsea Wolfe‘s latest album “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to.” Two songs into the album, I’m already sold – if a duo can mix trip-hop vibes, jazz, and Gothic electronica in the same sonic bowl and make it sound this mesmerizing, they are fast making their way into the top 10 of my Best Albums of 2025 list. It seems as though it is becoming a habit to include an album that pays homage to the sound of mid-1990s Bristol; last year, it was that said Chelsea Wolfe endeavor, this year it could very well be this one.
I mean, the album does not let me down as it continues to explore the dark alleys of the human soul. The most poignant lyrics, in this respect, can be found in the song “Truth.” It pays further homage to the gritty sounds of vintage trip-hop, this time leaning closer to the aural malaise of Tricky‘s classic endeavors in the heyday of the genre. On occasion, Paula Lombardo‘s phrasing comes chillingly close to the nonchalant delivery of Martina Topley-Bird on Tricky‘s haunting album classic “Maxinquaye” from 30 years ago.
So, VENAMORIS‘s take on jazz-noir-esque trip-hop is more than merely a PORTISHEAD tribute. “Stain of Pain” recalls the somewhat flower-powerish, acoustic mood of GOLDFRAPP‘s 2008 album “Seventh Tree,” and the song features Django–Reinhardt-like gypsy-jazz guitar stylings by Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT fame. Then, “Burnt Paper” resonates with an almost Myrkur-like air with its eerie folk vibes, and “Numb” is a grunge song with a PJ Harvey frosting.
That said, songs such as “Spiderweb” and “Holding on to Nothing” do resonate with a thick PORTISHEAD-like aura, but it’s hard to really mind because both of these bangers come off especially haunting, what with all those sly James Bond soundtrack vibes and all. The latter could just as well be A PERFECT CIRCLE song with some added cinematic flavor – the SCORPIONS cover even more so; yes, you read that right! “Animal Magnetism” is a cover rendition of the title track of a 1980 SCORPIONS album. The song features Gary Holt of EXODUS on guitar, and if you thought you had this album figured out already, how about some post-punk vibes of KILLING JOKE variety for a change? I did not see that coming, to be honest, but it fits in the album flow rather nicely.
Last, the title track brings this haunting sonic trip to a close with some NINE INCH NAILS-esque horror film soundtrack vibes. Yeah, why not? The stylistic leap from the jazz-noir vibes of the opener to this dark, industrial-vibed electronica is not actually that huge, and when you’re slowly lured into the ever-darkening sonic dungeons of the album throughout ten tracks, you won’t even notice that the mood has darkened that significantly. This sophomore VENAMORIS album is a masterful exercise in the dark magick of modern trip-hop. Hopefully, considering Dave Lombardo‘s gargantuan thrash-metal fame, this album will reach a huge audience and open a lot of metalhead ears to delicious, sophisticated, and dark dream-pop that leaves no emotion untouched.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Stay With Me
- In the Shadows
- Truth
- Stain of Pain
- Spiderweb
- Burnt Paper
- Holding on to Nothing
- Animal Magnetism
- Numb
- To Cross or to Burn
Lineup
Dave Lombardo – instrumentation
Paula Lombardo – vocals, instrumentation
With special guests:
Trevor Dunn – contrabass on “Stay With Me”
Ra Diaz – bass on “Stain of Pain”
Alex Skolnick – guitars on “Stain of Pain” and “Burnt Paper”
Gary Holt – guitars on “Animal Magnetism”
Label
Ipecac Recordings
