Venamoris will have their sophomore album “To Cross Or To Burn” out on February 28th through Ipecac Recordings. The group’s roster consists of Paula Lombardo and her legendary metal drummer husband Dave Lombardo (Mr. Bungle, ex-Slayer, etc.).
A cover of the Scorpions‘ 1980 track “Animal Magnetism” has just been served up from this new album and features a guest appearance from guitarist Gary Holt (Slayer/Exodus). Displaced/Replaced assembled the video that accompanies it.
Dave also weighed in on the significance the Scorpions have had on him, offering:
“The first rock concert I ever attended was on May 25, 1980, with Scorpions opening for Ted Nugent’s ‘Scream Dream’ tour. We (Slayer) had covered a couple Scorpions songs in the early years but I never would have thought of re-imagining one of their songs at that time. Now it seems like the most natural thing to do. I could hear Paula’s sultry voice, the song taking on a slightly industrial feel… and I could fully hear Gary Holt play this insane lead. It’s been incredible to see this idea come to life. To release this at the same time this iconic band celebrates 60 years is a perfect way for me to thank them for an inspiring first show in 1980 and for all that they have contributed since.”
Speaking on the album, Paula shared:
“‘To Cross Or To Burn‘ has taken us down a darker, very different path than our first album. There’s a confidence in this body of work. An overall vibe of heaviness that was unexpected. Verses of hard truths now bound in acceptance. The soul-searching continues.”
Holt isn’t the only guest to have lent their talents to this new outing, as Dave has also recruited several of his other bandmates over the years to appear on the record, including Ra Diaz (Korn, ex-Suicidal Tendencies) on “Stain Of Pain“, Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, etc.) on “Stay With Me” and Testament, etc. guitarist Alex Skolnick on “Stain Of Pain” and “Burnt Paper“.
“To Cross Or To Burn” track listing:
01 – “Stay With Me” (feat. Trevor Dunn)
02 – “In The Shadows”
03 – “Truth”
04 – “Stain Of Pain” (feat. Alex Skolnick & Ra Diaz)
05 – “Spiderweb”
06 – “Burnt Paper” (feat. Alex Skolnick)
07 – “Holding On To Nothing”
08 – “Animal Magnetism” (Scorpions cover) (feat. Gary Holt)
09 – “Numb”
10 – “To Cross Or To Burn”
Pre-orders are available through venamoris.lnk.to/cross.
