Venom

Metal band Venom, originally known as Guillotine and Dwarfstar, was founded in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Considered pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, their second album "Black Metal" gave its name to a new style on which they had a significant influence.

Most of Venom's original material featured satanic imagery and was written by bassist/frontman Conrad Lant (Cronos) and guitarist Jeffrey Dunn (Mantas). In 1986, Dunn left the band and they split the following year. Lant formed a new band called Cronos with some other members while drummer Anthony Bray (Abaddon) remained as the only original member.

In 1995, Venom's classic lineup reformed after disbanding in 1992 due to internal conflicts. Throughout the years, there were several lineup changes with Lant remaining as frontman. In 2015, Tony Dolan (Demolition Man), Bray, and Dunn formed Venom Inc., continuing the legacy of the 1988-1992 incarnation of Venom.