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Cronos, Venom's Black Metal Pioneer, Dies at 63
14 Oct
Summary
- Conrad Lant, known as Cronos, fronted the influential band Venom.
- Venom pioneered black metal and thrash metal genres.
- The band's sound influenced major acts like Metallica and Slayer.
Conrad Lant, the formidable frontman of the pioneering British heavy metal band Venom, has passed away at the age of 63. Operating under the stage name Cronos, Lant was a central figure in shaping extreme music genres.
Venom, formed in the late 1970s, distinguished itself from the era's more commercially oriented bands. Drawing inspiration from Motörhead and Black Sabbath, Venom explored darker themes and sounds.
The band's 1982 sophomore album, also titled 'Black Metal,' lent its name to a subgenre that Cronos helped pioneer, alongside thrash metal. This innovative approach profoundly impacted subsequent generations of musicians.
Musicians like Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich and Slayer guitarist Kerry King have acknowledged Venom's foundational role in extreme metal. The band's raw, ferocious sound was characterized by intricate drumming, machine-gun guitar riffs, and Cronos's distinctive vocals and bass lines.
