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Psychodrome is the second album of 80s-inspired heavy metal from Austria's Venator, a band that is quickly becoming one of the major players in the trad metal movement. This time out, they've built on the sound from their debut (2022's Echoes from the Gutter) by adding in even more rambunctious riffing as well as an epic vibe to their songwriting. Songs like "Steal the Night," "Dynamite" and "Ravening Angel" still possess the same direct, in-your-face riffing and hooky choruses Venator do quite well, evoking early W.A.S.P. and Grim Reaper. On cuts like "Fear the Light," "Astral Seduction" and "Children of the Beast," there's a clear effort by the band to expend their songwriting horizons with more atmosphere and high-pitched singing that had me flashing back to Power of the Night-era Savatage. Psychodrome is another step forward in Venator's progression, their best so far, and puts them in the same conversation with Traveler, Riot City and Glacier.