Venom

Venom took shape in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978 from members of three local bands, Guillotine, Oberon and Dwarfstar, and adopted the Venom name in 1979. The early line-up was singer Clive “Jesus Christ” Archer, Conrad “Cronos” Lant, guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and drummer Tony “Abaddon” Bray. After Archer left in 1980, Cronos took over vocals as well as bass, and Venom became a trio.

Neat Records released Welcome to Hell in 1981, and Black Metal followed in 1982, an album whose title gave a whole genre its name. At War with Satan (1984) and Possessed (1985) completed the classic era before Mantas left in 1986. Guitarists Mike Hickey and Jim Clare played on Calm Before the Storm (1987), after which Cronos also departed to start his own band.

Abaddon kept Venom going with singer and bassist Tony Dolan, and Mantas returned for Prime Evil (1989), but the band fell apart in 1992. In 1995 Cronos, Mantas and Abaddon reunited the classic line-up and released Cast in Stone in 1997. By 1999 Abaddon was out, replaced by Cronos’s brother Antton, and in 2002 Mantas also left, with Mike Hickey returning on guitar.

Guitarist Rage joined in 2007 and drummer Dante in 2009, forming the trio that has recorded every album since, from Fallen Angels (2011) and From the Very Depths (2015) to Storm the Gates (2018). After eight years without new music, Venom released their sixteenth studio album, Into Oblivion, on 1 May 2026 through Noise/BMG.

Current line-up: Cronos (vocals, bass), Rage (guitar), Dante (drums).