Twenty years ago, British metal band Venom redefined the course and nature of the heavy metal genre when it put out its debut album, Welcome To Hell.
The band combined mystical and occult elements of traditional hard rock and metal with the speed and fury of the early punk sounds of the mid-1970s. Though Venom was rather obscure in the metal pantheon, its unique style gave way to bands such as Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth.
Venom came together in late 1979 from two pub bands in Newcastle, England. Through various lineups and positions, they settled on their classical incarnation in late 1980. The lineup was Conrad Lant, who is also called "Cronos," on bass and vocals; Jeff Dunn, "Mantas," on guitars; and Tony "Abbadon" Bray filled out the band on drums.
In 1981, Welcome To Hell was released.
That year was the peak of the "New Wave" of British heavy metal, a movement that began in late 1979 with bands such as Diamond Head, Saxon, Def Leppard and Iron Maiden. The movement signaled a change from traditional metal epitomized by groups such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. They sought to fuse traditional stylings with the pace of punk as played by bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Clash and Motorhead.
Venom decided to take the concept a step further. Its lyrics were an open celebration of Satanism, the dark and the unknown. The music was played at full-volume fury. They wrote songs with titles such as "In League With Satan" and "Witching Hour."
Lant delivered the words with a deathlike growl, accompanied by a menacing whisper. Dunn's guitar solos were sheer blasts of noise but also brilliant in songs such as "1,000 Days in Sodom" and "Witching Hour."
The group's shows were bombastic, with pyrotechnics that often got it in trouble with local authorities. Venom often had to tone down its pyrotechnic sets and get permission to do shows in certain venues, such as London's Hammersmith Odeon.
Venom, like many groups of its kind, lacked big record label backing, therefore, it was a local and provincial phenomenon during its early years. Many of its original works have gone out of print, though rumors abound of re-issues.
The original Venom would release two more albums before the original band members splintered off and various line-up changes tried to assume the mantle. The group followed its debut with the 1982 release Black Metal and 1984's At War With Satan, a concept album. In 1998, Lant, Dunn and Bray reunited to release Cast In Stone.
In 2000, Lant and Dunn came together - while Bray departed the fold again - to release Resurrection.
Despite its obscurity and fall-outs, Venom charted a new course of metal that would take form throughout the 1980s. In the United States, bands such as Metallica, Exodus, Slayer and Testament followed Venom's lead by becoming major movers of the burgeoning black/thrash metal scene. In Europe, Helloween, Bathory and Coroner came about under the black metal genre.
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Today, bands such as Pantera, Fear Factory and Coal Chamber continue with the bombastic style pioneered by Venom, though with less emphasis on the dark, Satanic element. Other contemporary black metal bands of note include Morbid Angel and Mayhem.
Venom may have been a niche or provincial phenomenon, but it redefined the course of hard rock. And in the process, they also provided some kick-ass tunes.
