The Pillars of Black Metal: The Complete History of Venom

[@eumenideia1812]

Tom Araya (Slayer): "Without Venom, there’s a good chance there wouldn’t have been a Slayer. Their Welcome To Hell and Black Metal albums were a big influence on our guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman. We did covers of Venom, Maiden, Priest… Venom was a big influence on Kerry as far as the imagery, and how we did the song-writing. I still think that Welcome to Hell and Black Metal are fucking awesome records, and I still listen to them now actually. Venom was a huge influence, and we started working on our own songs and developed it."

[@silverianjannvs5315]

Comment section is yours

[@eumenideia1812]

Gary Holt (Exodus/Slayer): "During that tour with Venom together in ’84, we immediately bonded with the Slayer guys. It was two bands of friends playing with one band of heroes, you know? We were just star-struck-Venom was one of the bands that helped mold both of us. We cut our collective teeth on albums like Welcome to Hell and now we were on tour with them, watching them bust through “Black Metal” and “Countess Bathory.” It was amazing, man. Venom are personal heroes of mine, huge influence on early Exodus, and still one of my favorite bands of all time."

[@brendanpatterson3929]

It's a shame that Abaddon, Mantas and Cronos can't put their differences aside and reunite for a final tour as it would be amazing for the genre 💀

[@Patrick_0n]

They are all putting out great music. I'm happy either way.

[@Ronjovie]

@@Patrick_0nnot the same

[@eumenideia1812]

Necrobutcher (Mayhem): "When I heard Venom in 1982, it was like Motörhead only 10 times rawer. They had the punk element but they also had a death metal edge and that was before death metal even existed. It was the whole package. They are my favorite band of all times and to me they're the only band that can really call themselves black metal."

[@eumenideia1812]

Mike Torrao (Possessed): “We kind of got a big influence from Venom. We had no influence from Slayer at all. Everybody thinks we did, but we didn't. Kiss was my influence to play guitar. I liked Ace Frehley, the guitar player; and then I grew up on Iron Maiden. After that, Judas Priest through high school; and then I got into Venom and that's when the Possessed thing started happening.”

[@eumenideia1812]

Tom Angelripper (Sodom): “I think it was around 1981 that I realized that this was really what I wanted to do, to be a musician and to be in a band and I formed Sodom the next year, but we were big metal fans already anyway, and the biggest, most important thing to us was Venom’s ‘Welcome to Hell’ record. It was fantastic, I had never heard a band like that before, and we made the decision that we wanted to do that ourselves, we wanted to do our own version of that music.”

[@eumenideia1812]

Tom Warrior (Hellhammer/Celtic Frost/Triptykon): “Above everybody must stand Venom, who really were the first of all these [black metal] bands. Hellhammer, Mercyful Fate, and especially Bathory were hugely inspired by them. I have no connection to their later catalogue but those early records, especially the first album, is the prototype for all black metal albums.”

[@cannibalcorpse3555]

Nur mein lieber Freund, war Celtic frost schon etwas früher da!! I deshalb ist Celtic die urform von Black Metal!! U dann venom bzw hellhammer,👍🔥🔥

[@eumenideia1812]

Euronymous (Mayhem): "Venom was our first and major influence, later Bathory, Hellhammer, Sodom and Destruction. Venom and the other ancient ones have been fundamental influences on Mayhem, and also the direct reason for the band's existence. We like to think that if they hadn't started this up, we would have, but who knows? It doesn't really matter anyway, we hail ancient Venom as the creators.”

[@eumenideia1812]

Michel 'Away' Langevin (Voivod): "To me, Venom represent the start of a very important movement that has split into many more important movements. It was a revolution. After that moment, death metal, thrash metal, black metal and all these genres exploded and they all owe something to Venom.”

[@vladimircokorilo8105]

Demolition Man's Venom era is so underappreciated, just like Tony Martin's Black Sabbath era. Prime Evil is still my third favorite Venom album.

[@ASTRUM502]

I really loved M:pire of Evil, and was let down they chucked that in the bin, just to use this new Venom name.

[@VenomGA]

glad to see someone else appreciating how great the Prime Evil album was.

[@christaylor2923]

Made an album with Conrad in 86 and can testify that he was an absolute gent and a lovely guy. Totally unassuming and very VERY funny.

[@RockinExperience]

I hope my grandmother forgives me for lying to her on Easter Sunday in 1986. I told her I was going to see Stryper. (Caberet Metro, March 30th, Chicago, w The Cromags)

[@wiking08]

To Hell with the Devil, I luv it friend 😂😂😂😂

[@RockinExperience]

@@wiking08 They'll be playing Welcome To Hell when I go down there. 🔥

[@eumenideia1812]

Lars Ulrich (Metallica): “On 'Whiplash', we just tried to play as fast as we could and have it make as much sense as possible. One of the bands we were listening to, who were an influence on 'Whiplash', was Venom. That first record [1981’s Welcome To Hell], with songs like 'Angel Dust' and 'Live Like An Angel (Die Like A Devil)', was a big inspiration. They took the energy and speed of what Motörhead were doing and made it a little more heavy metal - Motörhead had more of a punkish attitude. Venom need to get namechecked more when people talk about Metallica’s early days.”

[@conradhooker5043]

Rip ride!!!! That song is fun to snowboard or skateboarding! I do tree work so doing removals listening to that song is so fun. Especially dropping big ass trees in the mountains. Or doing crane removals! Love that songs so much!!

[@richmoreno9938]

I saw Venom, Slayer and Exodus at Hollywood Palladium in April 1985. It was phenomenal. Three huge slam pits all night with people throwing fireworks of the balconies, home made banners, etc. At one point Cronos did a 5 minute solo making ugly and guttural sounds with his bass while forking his tongue at the audience. When the show was over, the house lights went on and everyone was screaming for them to come back out. A few mins later they came out and tore into “Witching Hour” then COMPLETELY destroyed their equipment; smashing their stacks, smashing their guitars, smashing the drums, EVERYTHING. Just total annihilation. I remember there being actual electrical smoke rising from the broken gear afterwards.

[@eumenideia1812]

Erik Danielsson (Watain): "I wish I heard Venom and Watain in the same sentence more often. Venom is one of my all-time favorite bands, and I think if you have that sort of background, you might actually be able to relate to what we do as well. Venom are the originators of the black metal movement that we later became a part of and we like carrying that torch onwards and uphold that legacy.”

[@eumenideia1812]

Quorthon (Bathory): “When we started out we were quite heavily Motörhead influenced, and you can hear that from the very earliest stuff that we did. And then listening to a certain Newcastle band a couple years ago - what would that be, nine years ago? - we realized yes, you can do that. The other guys in the band were fed up with Saxon and Iron Maiden, and I had a quite difficult time persuading them to actually go faster and to actually sing about this satanic thing. And we did that for three records.”

[@eumenideia1812]

Chuck Schuldiner (Death): “Well, it’s definitely flattering [to be credited with having started the death metal scene], but I really can’t consider myself to have started it. In my opinion Venom were the first - to have the brutal vocal style, tuning low their instruments, that initial brutal aggression. But I think that maybe I’ve kept it going to what death metal is today, as a lot of those older bands are no longer going, like Venom; and I guess I picked up where they left off, and I’m still in there luckily.”

[@realmchat6665]

Pioneers, and massively influential.

[@eumenideia1812]

Magus (Necromantia): "At the time no one played like Venom. They are the ones who started everything. They took Motörhead’s sound and made it heavier and more black. But they are the ones that defined the genre. Cronos is a big influence for me. I had his poster in my room as a teen. When I finally met Cronos - even though they had some crazy requirements when they visited Athens for a gig - he was a very cool guy backstage. They didn’t ruin the image I have created for them.”

[@RickardH.-gu6ws]

Yes according to the lyrics it was venom who created Black metal, but the sound of black metal, about the same time, what were to come unto modern age, the band Bathory had a greater impact. I would say.

[@carolgeorgeson9632]

They were over shadowed by other bands but ill tell you what black metal will always 1 of my top 5 for always and i will always love them and give all my respect and im 61yrs old

[@cannibal666]

Venom had a big influence on deeper and heavier metal music in the 80s listened to them since te beginning 💥👹🤘AHS

[@stephaneauger1036]

Venom is close to punk no matter what Am a musician 🧑‍🎤 and metal child 🤘venom for ever

[@eumenideia1812]

Mika Luttinen (Impaled Nazarene): "Basically, I used to listen to rock’n’roll like Matchbox and Stray Cats. Then I heard from the radio Venom´s "Witching Hour" and that changed my life forever. Got "Welcome to Hell" and the rest is history."

[@younkinjames8571]

Mike Hickey ended up being Joe bonamassa's guitar tech. Super nice dude. He lives above a great little guitar shop in New England and we had some great conversations.

[@eumenideia1812]

Frost (Satyricon/1349): "Black Metal as a genre was created by Venom and given a name when they released their second album "Black Metal" in 1982. Still I'd say the starting point was in 1981, with their first album "Welcome to Hell". Venom was the first band to deliberately and convincingly create dark atmospheres in metal, and they also did their metal harder, rawer and dirtier than any band before them. That pretty much defined the frames of Black Metal."

[@ASTRUM502]

You didn't mention M:pire of Evil, this was the band that Mantas and D-Man started after Resurrection, and even had Cronos' brother on drums for a bit. This was the act that morphed into Venom Inc when Abaddon was going to play a set, their rationale for using the Venom name was having 2 original members, but they kept it even after Abaddon was no longer involved. A new Venom album is planned for 2024. Also Venom Inc.'s drummer, Jeramie Kling left the band in 2023.

[@eumenideia1812]

Dayal Patterson (author, "Black Metal: Evolution of the Cult"): "I think Venom has to be the starting point. There is one chapter before Venom, but it’s about metal during the ’70s and how that formed; but Venom is undoubtedly the starting point of extreme metal in general, and especially black metal. Venom’s "Welcome to Hell" effectively kick-started the genre. "Black Metal" is the more obvious album because it gave a name to it, but they are both essential. That is where it was born, if it was born anywhere."

[@gradybrown9745]

Thanks for posting.. adding it to my Watch Later list to save. I huge VENOM and VENOM Inc. fan to this day

[@ckchappell]

I don't know what this means, if anything, but Resurrection might be my favorite Venom album.

[@Savatanica]

My fave album is Temples of Ice.Prolly this is absolulety rare among Venom fans.Great narration btw.

[@MusicTheLifeBlood]

"Buh-thory". Nailed it. -Dustin

[@eumenideia1812]

Attila Csihar (Mayhem/Tormentor): "I discovered Venom and that was the first kick in my balls to go for extreme metal. I looked for more and more extreme [music] and then, of course, Venom’s "Black Metal" hit me in the face. That was the thing. I remember I went to the record store one day and asked - 'What´s the most extreme thing here, I have this hardcore music already'. And one guy was like 'Okay, give him the Venom record', and he put it on and within ten seconds I was spellbound. I loved it."

[@eumenideia1812]

Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved): “Black metal pretty much started with Venom back in 1981 with the album "Welcome to Hell." Venom doesn’t sound anything like modern black metal bands but it’s still black metal.”

[@VinCostanza]

Pisses me off that theres people out there that don’t label venom as black metal

[@Stone_Sour83]

@@VinCostanzathat’s baffling since they started it 😂

[@Troy-McClure81]

Nothing says Piss off the Neighbors Like Venom 😂😂 I still have my Manitou Ep on Vinyl,and naturally I turn the Bass up and treble down any time I play Venom...My favorites of the Metal Founders,I still have my San Bernardino ticket from the reunion show they never did..

[@shawnfranklin9581]

I LOVE Venom! Would kill to see the classic line up!

[@mivsenowner]

no mentioning of 2014-release 'From The Very Depths' which is a shame as it is the best of the new stuff...

[@CarloEnrique-z6w]

Venom is one of The most influentia band of all.time

[@ronaldnock9666]

This is amazing!

[@crocsmart5115]

Pistols to Motörhead to Venom to Anthrax and onwards…… Venom deserve their place in our musics history. If it’s available anywhere,check out their appearance on a music program called ECT. in the early eighties,I remember it for the following band missing their intro as they were stood open mouthed after Venoms set! (God I’m old😂)

[@kerrymould1698]

Saw them supporting hawkwind

[@traviscartwright3950]

Venom deserve a comprehensive book written about them, to my knowledge there isn't one and if I'm correct, l can't understand why.

[@426baron]

Probably because interviewing the original trio would only lead to each one blaming each other for everything without the possibility of getting a coherent story from that.

[@richmoreno9938]

I would read it!

[@OldToby53]

used to love these guys back in the day

[@benpotaka5893]

Black Metal was a total game changer

[@zvistrazynski6239]

Such an overlooked band

[@N3cr0666]

From the Very Depths was 2015, Storm the Gates didn't arrive until 2018.

[@dungeonslayer4692]

Jeff is one of the coolest guys around!

[@HANGRYJIMLODLIFEALWAYSLOD]

Cronos is the man...he is Venom. From the very depths may be their greatest album ever...

[@stjohntownsend3019]

Before the name change to Venom Inc they they were called/played and recorded as M-Pire of Evil

[@ASTRUM502]

I wish they'd go back to that now, as now they have that drummer back. And Mantas might retired

[@LegShowMagazine]

Legends

[@paulstevenson7173]

I do hope theres a reunion one day, even if its a one off concert.

[@Patrick_0n]

Venom and Venom Inc.was and is amazing..F the press.

[@enio7157]

The revenge of the black metal Visigoths 🤘🤘🤘🤘

[@user-zx8de8op9l]

Well Done

[@martinwakefield8138]

This is one of the rare times that Lemmy got it wrong....so wrong.

[@mathrash_legendas666]

very good! I wanted to know if I can put subtitles on this video in BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE (I have a subtitle channel) many people would like to see this video with subtitles. I just do it for the love of music!

[@avelinosilvadias]

If we're talking about a gamechanger album that influenced extreme metal ect then think about HNSNSN discharge. The proper starting point of all extreme metal 🤜🤘🤛

[@ASTRUM502]

I do agree. I did a Discharge song on my band's debut album. Big influence on me

[@barmyneddy1789]

Venom attacked a radio presenter “The Flashing Blade” who broadcast locally (Newcastle) during an interview. Not sure if it was just a publicity stunt or they just wanted to get thrown out of the studio.

[@richevans609]

You're wrong. They emerged from the very depths of hell sir. 😂❤

[@andrewnewton23]

Its conrad lant At least do your research

[@richardl3720]

There was absolutely nothing like this at the time it was released. I had to buy the album as an import. When I first heard it and years of listening to Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Cream, Iggy and the Stooges(Raw Power) Motorhead, Black Flag, Discharge, etc, I thought, finally, someone pushed the meter so much higher. It's funny too that some people that loved heavy metal didn't know what to make of this. Cranking To Hell and Back or Heavens on Fire or any song on that album. I don't think this will be equaled for a long time. Once in a while you'll see Dave Grohl or Phil Anselmo or another musician wear a Venom shirt. There's a huge appreciation for them amongst many rock/heavy metal bands. Lastly, I think the producer of this should get some credit for how this sounds. I think it was Keith Nicholes....The albums following this were nowhere near the intensity of Black Metal. When I first heard At War With Satan, I thought, what did they do to this, it sounds weak and thin. The previous Album, Welcome to Hell, I knew was a good start.

[@fink94]

Makes sense that Jesus Christ would quit

[@carolgeorgeson9632]

I did like venom inc also

[@kenvorland]

The gods of black metal

[@Hellishorror]

🔥🔥🔥

[@scorchedearth8661]

I love the pronunciations.

[@willianlima3202]

Melhor banda de metal venom

[@jerichothirteen1134]

Pity they couldnt just stick together and concentrate on perfecting their art. I wonder what could have been.

[@necro.daemoness666]

I wouldn't worry too much about Venom Inc, they can't handle any criticism or negativity, and are known to Block People on their IG.

[@s4squatch1]

At 2 mins 20 sec Cronos looks like Ronda Rousey

[@ncmetalmusic]

Who ever remembers any of those other albums past the first 4?

[@retrorambles517]

I only know their first three All good albums but when I was a kid before streaming and the internet all the music shops I went into usually only had their first three

[@ASTRUM502]

I know and have them all. My favorite band since 1982.

[@frogtastic1000]

Good video

[@vileevil47gonzalez92]

They should be on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but noooop The induced NWA

[@officercat7907]

Yeah, as a NWA fan as well, these fellas absolutely should’ve been in there. Venom is fucking killer

[@annekedriessen9568]

VENOMMMMM

[@Gregbaltzer]

Sorry, but it's V...E...N...O...Fucking M.

[@Valve_Without_Beach]

Venom you know Cthulhu Fhtagn

[@TheBlackQueen]

"Bethory" LMAO!!

[@L-Slayer]

COME ON ARGHHHHH WITCHING HOURS VENOMMMMMMMMMMM

[@lucas_rocker]

todos os vídeos sobre o venom você tá kkkkkkk é bem fã mesmo

[@BoogieBMWE34]

Keltic Frost like it

[@adolfmcduck1265]

This account of Venoms history is one of the worst I've ever seen. 👎

[@KingEric-nr8gv]

2:38

[@cageluke]

Never liked them but I respect their influence on bands I like.

[@Kowinaida]

Someone ask the narrator to say Bathory again...

[@roaming740]

Narrator is AI

[@Kowinaida]

@@roaming740 Just a joke...

[@sfmedicsmith777]

Seen them at the Milwaukee metal fest....front row....that bomb they let off at the first pushed me back a couple inches....loud af.....Killer show.

[@Astonmartin2505]

VENOM, c est cronos et son amour pour Satan, c est tout ! Les albums sans Cronos ne sont pas du VENOM, c est comme sepultura sans les frères Cavalera, ce n est pas sepultura !!

[@AReallyLongAndUnremakableUser]

I read somewhere that the whole black metal thing VENOM did was as a joke, and other bands thought they were being serious.

[@retrorambles517]

Venom were certainly tongue in cheek

[@joey778alucard]

Yeah basically they got tired of hearing that metal is the devils music so they were like why not make it so ? So they did the whole satanic imagery and obscene lyrics even though they weren't even taking it seriously it was a joke

[@ASTRUM502]

It's entertainment. Performance art.

[@spaghettidracula9710]

Is this like an AI voice that’s supposed to sound like a classic music doc narrator? “A-BAD-in” and “Bu-THOR-y” really threw me off.

[@dimitargueorguiev9088]

Newcastle is the city of Black Metal! Jesus Christ left them early.. BTW, I still have their original Black Metal LP from 1985..

[@ASTRUM502]

'82.

[@caleb-bw9xp]

Guillotine, Oberon never existed. They were just an idea. You must have got your information from Wikipedia

[@joemiller9931]

"Hi, my name is Cronos and I don't do drugs!"

[@brentlohr3394]

After their Possessed album I completely gave up on Venom

[@simoncurtis3255]

I agree with you

[@Ricardo-dz9xf]

Why?

[@Gregbaltzer]

Possessed was great, but Calm Before the Storm is in my top 5 hated albums from bands I love. The problem with Venom around 1985 is that all the bands they influenced, had grown beyond Venom and were now releasing better, more ferocious albums then Venom. Venom just became passe.

[@IscariotHeartwork]

is that an AI voice? is this like a metal-themed content farm or some shit.

[@LordUnas]

Mantas left to embark on a solo career? Who the hell was he talking to, who convinced him that going solo would be a good idea? It’s not as if anyone in Venom was a talented musician, so the whole was much, much greater than the sum of its parts. I mean, Venom ruled, and were very influential, but they were basically an eviler version of Spinal Tap.

[@ASTRUM502]

I bought that Mantas album when it came out, it's totally different from Venom, it's like that band EUROPE. There are some videos from that "Winds Of Change".

[@bartarens4914]

Venom is not even black metal but jusi raw heavy metal with a punk attitude

[@avelinosilvadias]

Yeah basically NWOBHM with a rough edge and gruff vocals 🤜🤘🤛

[@randymascarenas9062]

Funny how pretty much every black metal band says Venom originated black metal. The name of the music even came from the album and song of Venom's.

[@ASTRUM502]

Venom invented black metal but other bands progressed with the sound, but many kept it raw.

[@Tysandifer]

Heh heh ba thor e

[@_PuppetMaster86]

“Buh - thor - ree”

[@Gene-XL]

Is it me, or does the narrator's voice sound too friendly and out of place for a video about Venom? AI voice methinks.

[@ddaavvee68]

sounds like casey kasem

[@bizjet]

And “Abaddon” gets pronounced three different ways. And at least two album titles are misread. Interesting summary of the band(s) though.

[@andrewnewton23]

He can't even get conrad's second name right that's how good this is

[@LongLiveRockAnRoll]

5:29 How Bathory is pronounced 😅 yeah, definitely AI

[@uhtredragnarsson8961]

Venom only think how play black metal...but Quorthon 1984 show how black metal really need to sound..compare any..any album from Venom and Bathory 1984..or with Return from Darkness...BATHORY IS BEGINING OF BLACK METAL..

[@necro.daemoness666]

Quorthon would disagree.

[@uhtredragnarsson8961]

@@necro.daemoness666 dont think so,many metalheads in comment say same..only..some metalheads see Venom like black metal but many not..for me Bathory IS always start of black metal..exspecialy first album..actualy all first 3 albums..even Blood Fire Death in some element consider a black metal..sorry..but metalheads be always divided between Venom and Bathory..

[@necro.daemoness666]

@@uhtredragnarsson8961 Venom Is what many people In the know call; "Proto Black Metal", or First Wave Black Metal, they even have an Album & Track called Black Metal. Death Metal Fans have this same argument about who started Death Metal, yet everyone knows Possessed has a Track called Death Metal.

[@uhtredragnarsson8961]

@@necro.daemoness666 yes..but Bathory give real sound and shape for black metal,vocal..exspecialy for vocal..and complete music..

[@ASTRUM502]

Onslaught's first album has a song called Death Metal.

[@imeprezime732]

I totally hate statements that extreme metal was influenced by punk. Extreme metal is simply metal turned into more extreme form.

[@Steven-dk4nq]

I concurr

[@hudsonbarth5641]

Yeah and the speed and unbridled attitude required for extreme metal came from hardcore punk. Metal bands just channeled that energy into something more evil.

[@Hexxecutioner]

Thrash came from musicians mixing metal with the speed and attitude of punk. Look at Metallica's cover songs- NWOBHM bands like Diamond Head, and punk bands like the Misfits. Slayer even did a punk/hardcore covers album. (Undisputed Attitude) Stockholm death metal bands like Dismember have clear punk influences and have said so in interviews. I could go on but you get the idea. I'm not a big punk fan, but punk and metal have fed off and influenced each other back and forth for decades.

[@reggaeterror]

Nah extreme metal is extremity and punk was way more extreme than metal in the late 70s /early 80s (amebix /anti nowhere league and many more )

[@cranklabexplosion-labcentr8245]

Thrash metal is just Technical Hardcore Punk 🤣

[@southpakrules]

I never did any video on Venom and it's still better than this shit.

[@hv1225]

Pillocks of Black Metal.

[@Error8x8]

Venom is the only band I love to listen to be not look at, lol. They look so fucking cheesy but they made some great music.

[@8arrows]

If you play Venom’s record Welcome to Hell backwards. There is a message. “I’m going to burn your soul, crush your bones, I’m going to make you bleed, you’re going to bleed for me”. I don’t remember which song. But as soon as I discovered that. I got rid of it.

[@8arrows]

@bflo1000 man I was 14 when I played it backwards. Because back then it was all over the news how dudes committed suicide, while listening to Judas Priest, and Ozzie Osborne records. And courts went after those bands. The courts played their albums backwards, to try to show the hidden messages in the records. So me, and my brother went through every record we had. The ONLY one we had, that had a hidden message was that Venom record.

[@8arrows]

@bflo1000 it was creepy, and like I said, when I heard that message I threw the record away post haste.

[@TheSGEllie]

Dear God,please,save the world from idiots like these two here.in advance thank You

[@Gregbaltzer]

I think it was 1000 days in Sodom. But yes, I played it backwards too. At the beginning of Iron Maiden's Still Life there is a backwards message. I can't remember what it says, but they were taking a piss at all the Satanic backlash they got over Number Of The Beast.

[@outis439-A]

@@Gregbaltzerit was In League With Satan

[@rauladdams5709]

This sounds AI.