"One of the things that makes The Venomous so good is the combination of old and new influences. Although it’s firmly based on the old Gothenburg principles of melodic death metal, Nightrage don’t limit themselves to this and instead take in some more modern influences to go alongside that. The result? An album that kicks as"

"The Venomous is first-rate melo-death." 3.5/5

“The Venomous "Technically the album sounds perfect and there is not the slightest blemish, the old school color production it gives extra points in the overall sound, which sounds honest and authentic."”

“'The Venomous may be a bit different than others in the genre, Nightrage’s unique take is what helps them stand above the crowd. Impressing their dedicated followers and garnering interest from those who typically would not find this genre of interest, Nightrage delivers a passionate new album with The Venomous. That is why CrypticRock gives this album 4.5 of 5 stars'”

“The Venomous "Death melodies for the stadium" 5/7”

“The Venomous "Exhilrating old school melodic death metal"”

"Despite the change in personnel, such a reliable force remains, Nightrage is highly accounted for. The key to this great achievement is undoubtedly the case with riif-maker Marios Iliopoulos -Nightrage, who is the last remaining founding member of the group. So Nightrage with THE VENOMOUS probably have the record that fans of classic In Flames would like. Compliment!" 5/7

“The Venomous "Nightrage has never been stronger than this, and I´m just keeping my fingers crossed that this settlement will be lengthy" 8/10”

“Iliopoulos remains one of melodic death metal’s finest craftsmen, able to spin elongated melodies as well as brute, strident riffing. Nightrage still sound fresh because they don’t rely on the old Gothenburg playbook, but rather Iliopoulos’s own take on how to be harmonious and heavy at the same time. This is evident on the album’s opening title track, as well as “Catharsis,” which opens up with a lovely, spacious guitar intro, working its way into an up-tempo thrash-basher. Vocalist Ronnie Nyman is as convincing as any of Nightrage’s previous frontmen (and this includes At the Gates legend Tomas Lindberg), rolling out some desirable clean/screams on “The Blood,” as well as a heavy dose of potent harsh vocals on the restrained “Trail of Ghosts.” 8.5/10”

"There is no reason to speechify. "The Venomous" is the worthy follower of "The Puritan" by a band that went out on the road together, and seems to be a tight unit, with tight compositions that take off the album" 8.5/10

"Nightrage have sincerely released their most clean, brutal, and powerful work of their career. The Venomous takes the listener from track one, guiding them through a fiery whirlwind of powerful melodies and crushing beats, all making for a majestic journey." 4/5

"The Venomous" "There is currently no band playing this style more convincingly!" 8/10

“Auf ihrem sechsten Werk präsentieren sich die Melodic Death-Metaller dafür zum ersten Mal mit ihrem neuen Sänger Ronnie Nyman (Always War), der sowohl hell krächzend (‘The Puritan’) als auch beim Screamen (‘Stare Into Infinity’) eine amtliche Leistung abliefert, am Songwriting beteiligt ist und Nightrage darüber hinaus zumindest optisch einen leichten Hardcore-Touch verleiht. 6/7”

“When the majority of the icons of the genre aren’t really playing the same thing as they did years ago, there will be always that band that shall remain true to the letter, NIGHTRAGE is one of those bands. “The Puritan”, which right from the start reminded me of IN FLAMES’s amazing “Clayman” era, right before the beginning of their fall to Core or whatever they are playing right now, may be one of the best Melodic Death Metal albums that aren’t truly into a technical show off but more referring to the heart of the songs, letting the listener get into the groove while having a go on the lyrics. One of the best of 2015, and it will be entering my top 10 I am sure." 9/10”

“The Puritan is also a quick burner of a disc; as noted, it gets in, lands a few hits, and gets right the hell out. I’ve long held, and repeated time and time again, that melodeath has become my pop music and at times shares similar elements. It can be punchy, it’s definitely one of the lighter and more approachable forms of metal, and it’s often built entirely around a super-catchy chorus. It has sort of evolved into that style, and for me it’s perfectly fine. A straightforward and to-the-point melodeath album is enjoyable, even though I know that it’s just a quick rush to my system. Nightrage, on the other hand, have benefited from their own staying power.”

“The Puritan is their sixth studio record, coming four years after 2011’s stellar Insidious with a new record label in hand and another significant change vocally, as Ronnie Nyman takes over the roaring screams and growl duties from 7 year veteran Antony Hämäläinen. Guitarist Marios Iliopoulos tackles the songwriting from the essence of the melodic death platform – the hooks are obvious, yet wrapped around a ferocious riff/growl/tempo combination that causes spontaneous body convulsions and severe neck whiplash. Ronnie’s voice has that crossover hardcore forcefulness along with the discernable death growls that keep songs such as “Desperate Vows” and “Son of Sorrow” on target, relentless, and never compromising for commercial aspirations. 9/10”

"Es ist erstaunlich, mit welcher hochbleibenden Qualität NIGHTRAGE seit Jahren musizieren und damit trotzdem unter dem Radar der meisten Fans des melodischen Death Metal schwedischer Prägung bleiben. Während sich Genre-Begründer wie In Flames und Dark Tranquillity über die Jahre zunehmend von ihren Wurzeln entfernt haben, klingen NIGHTRAGE immer noch frisch und unverbraucht. 8/10

“With their sixth release, "The Puritan" its probably their best moment to date. Variety, strength, speed and acoustic guitars, melody filled with modern sound. Although a pre-taste of some digital singles you already heard it too I can imagine, since reading those lines you must be interested in the band anyway. If you have missed hearing the singles, just listen how different are "Kiss of a sycophant", "Stare into infinity" and "Desperate vows" and you"ll understand why this album it´s so wonderful. 8.5/10”

“Listen to "Endless Night", "Son Of Sorrow" and "Kiss Of A Sycophant" which are all no-nonsense, non-flashy and damn good sounding - this is how a Swedish death metal album should sound like! Also I need to give credit to the fact that "The Puritan" seeks back to the roots in terms of production. The album sounds honest, organic and solid which is the essence of this album; pure melodic death metal the way it should sound when the certificate of origin says "Made in Sweden"! 8/10”

“Nightrage stands out. It makes Amaranthe‘s ”Massive Addictive” seem like flavorless, greasy starch plastered with ketchup. The best thing to reveal the emotionless writing behind all the bells and whistles of modern metal to the masses is doing the exact opposite: to focus on the songwriting instead of adding tracks and elements to placeholder songs. One of The ”Puritan’s” strengths is in the tracklist. Two headbangers are followed by four massive hits, an instrumental, two headbangers and two hits. There are absolutely no reasons to pass this album. This is near perfection in a time of mediocrity." 9/10”