Venom

Genres:	Heavy Metal • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	black metal • thrash metal • heavy metal • nwobhm • metal • speed metal
Decades Active:	1980s • 1990s • 2000s

Biography

This UK black metal band, a major influence on thrash pioneers Metallica, Slayer and Possessed, as well as the satanic fraternity, was formed in 1978 as Guillotine in Newcastle Upon Tyne by Cronos (Conrad Lant; bass, vocals), Mantas (b. Jeff Dunn; guitar) and Abaddon (b. Tony Bray; drums). Their debut was 1981’s legendary Welcome To Hell, a raw collection of brutal songs filled with dark, satanic imagery. Black Metal was much better in terms of playing and production, and remains Venom’s best album, containing the atmospheric ‘Buried Alive’ amid the more customary speed bursts. At War With Satan, a semi-concept album released in 1984, and numerous singles followed - BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Tommy Vance paid £100 to charity when Mike Read played ‘Warhead’ on his breakfast show for a bet - and Venom played numerous major shows worldwide (club dates were precluded by the nature of Venom’s pyrotechnics, which tended to cause...

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