A seminal influence on the evolution of thrash and black metal, (Venom)
formed during the late 1970s in Newcastle, England. Originally a five-piece
group called Oberon, they eventually trimmed their line-up to a trio
comprising singer/bassist Conrad "Cronos"
Lant, guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn
and drummer Tony "Abaddon" Bray. Influenced
by the heavy intensity of Motorhead and the visual flash of Kiss, the newly-rechristened
Venom developed a dark, blistering sound which paved the way for the subsequent
rise of thrash music; similarly, their macabre, proudly satanic image proved
a major inspiration for the legions of black metal bands to appear in their
wake, even lending the genre its name with the release of their 1982 sophomore
LP Black
Metal. (Their debut Welcome to Hell
preceded it by a year.) Venom's third album At
War With Satan followed in 1984, and a year later they released Possessed.
Line-up changes plagued the group in the years to follow, with Mantas exiting
in the wake of 1985's live Eine
Kleine Nachtmusik; guitarists Matt Hickey and Jimmy Clare
were tapped as his replacements, making their debut on 1987's Calm
Before the Storm. Cronos then quit as well, however, mounting a solo
career and taking both Hickey and Clare with him as he left; at that point
Mantas rejoined Abaddon to form a new edition of Venom with onetime Atomkraft
vocalist/bassist Tony "The Demolition Risk" Dolan and guitarist Al
Barnes. The new line-up made its bow on 1989's Prime
Evil; Tear Your Soul Apart
appeared a year later. After 1991's Temples
of Ice, Barnes quit Venom; his absence was filled by guitarist Steve
"War Maniac" White, who along with keyboardist V.X.S. was recruited
in time for 1992's The
Waste Lands before both quickly exited. The trio of Mantas, Abaddon
and Dolan continued touring throughout the middle years of the decade, although
no more new studio recordings were forthcoming; finally, in 1996 Cronos
returned to the Venom fold, making way for Dolan's departure. The original
line-up's return to action was heralded by the release of the mini-album
Venom '96, followed in 1997 by the full-length
Made in Stone. After a world tour, Venom
issued the two-disc New, Live and Rare
in mid-1998. Buried Alive appeared a
year later, and in the spring of 2000 the group returned with The
Court of Death and Beauty and the Beast.
|
