Watch: VENOM Performs At Norway’s BEYOND THE GATES…

Fan-filmed video of VENOM‘s August 1 performance at the 2024 edition of the Beyond The Gates festival in Bergen, Norway can be seen below.

Two years ago, VENOM frontman Conrad “Cronos” Lant confirmed that the band was putting the finishing touches on a new studio album. Speaking at the 2022 edition of Wacken Open Air, he said: “We had a bit of a hassle because of the pandemic; we couldn’t meet in the studio and all that sort of shit. So that knocked everything all to hell. If that hadn’t happened, the album would be out by now. But we’re just doing the fine tuning, really, and working on individual shows for now.

“VENOM have never been a big touring type of band,” he explained. “We like to just pop up and blow the place to hell.”

VENOM formed in 1979 in Newcastle Upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, VENOM‘s first two albums — “Welcome To Hell” (1981) and “Black Metal” (1982) — are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. VENOM‘s second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal sub-genre of black metal. The band classic lineup trio of Cronos, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Antony “Abaddon” Bray recorded two further studio albums, “At War With Satan” (1984) and “Possessed” (1985),and live album “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM are still fronted by original singer/bassist Cronos and headline festivals all over the globe and continue to release new music.

In a 2018 interview with Consequence Of Sound, Cronos stated about his band’s influence on subsequent extreme metal groups: “I really like to think of VENOM as a catalyst rather than inventors. Influence would probably be more like it. I’ve always been — from being young — a fan of what you’d call ‘rock music.’ From THE BEATLES to THE [ROLLING] STONES to THE WHO, through [LED] ZEPPELIN and [DEEP] PURPLE and everybody. So, I’ve always liked the idea of drums, guitar, this, that, and the other. My mum’s brother used to play guitar in a country-western band, so I’ve always been around instruments and music. I’ve never really gotten into any of the electronic stuff when it came along in the ’80s. I didn’t really see how that was working for me in any way — I just like a drum kit and a guitar.”

VENOM‘s 15th full-length studio album, “Storm The Gates”, was released in December 2018 through Spinefarm Records.

VENOM is not to be confused with VENOM INC., the band featuring Mantas alongside ex-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan.