Venom's metal origins

Venom formed in Newcastle, England, in 1979, with Conrad 'Cronos' Lant as bassist and vocalist.

Cronos' punk-inspired chaos

Cronos wanted chaos, not technicality, creating divebomb solos and guitars crashing against amplifiers.

“I decided I would be the evil bastard. But the music had to be evil, too.”

Venom's early sound

Venom played Judas Priest, KISS, and Black Sabbath covers in a £5 Methodist church.

Cronos' studio hustle

Cronos washed cars and cleaned toilets to get studio time at Impulse Studio for Venom recordings.

“I ended up washing cars, sweeping the stairs and cleaning the toilets just to get that day in the studio.”

Venom's debut impact

Venom released their £50 demo in October 1980 and debut album Welcome to Hell in December 1980.

Black Metal's birth

Venom's 1981 album Black Metal defined extreme metal, with tracks like Witching Hour and Sons of Satan.

Cronos' philosophy

Cronos believed punk had died and metal was lame, so extreme metal was the only new way.

“People credit us with starting a movement, but it was inevitable. Punk had died. Metal was lame.”

Cronos' legacy

Cronos died at 63, leaving black metal as a global phenomenon with millions of fans.

Cronos' later life

Cronos became a fitness instructor, birdwatcher, and launched his solo project in 1990.

Cronos' defiance

Cronos cut power cables when Combat Records offered no contract, refusing to be ripped off.

“One of the things we found out early on was that, in this business, if you let somebody rip you off, then it's a free for all.”

Cronos' death

Cronos died on October 1st, aged 63, after a life shaping extreme metal's evolution.

Cronos' final words

Cronos said his philosophy was freedom from dogma, not being confined by rules.

“My philosophy is this: you're born and one day you're in a box, and what you do in between is your own choice.”