Venom singer and bassist Cronos dead at 63

Band's announcement

On Tuesday, October 1, Venom announced on social media that their singer, bassist and co-founder Conrad "Cronos" Lant had died at 63. No cause of death has been given. The band said that for more than four decades Conrad's voice, bass and vision were at the heart of Venom, and that he created something that changed heavy music forever. Lant's son Nathan thanked the band's fans, known as "the Legions," for the support given to his father over the years, adding that "the legend of Cronos will never die."

Career and influence

According to Louder, Lant was born in London in 1963 and moved to Newcastle at age eight, joining Venom there in 1978 amid the New Wave of British Heavy Metal; Blabbermouth, however, reports that Lant testified in court that he joined the band in late 1979. Alongside guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and drummer Tony "Abaddon" Bray, he formed the classic trio lineup that recorded "Welcome To Hell" (1981), "Black Metal" (1982), "At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985), plus the live album "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). The title track of "Black Metal" later inspired the extreme-metal genre of the same name, associated with bands such as Mayhem, Emperor and Darkthrone; Venom itself is cited as an influence by Metallica, Behemoth and Celtic Frost.

Lant left Venom in 1987 to pursue a solo career as Cronos, returning in 1995 and leading the band through multiple lineup changes until his death. The latest lineup featured guitarist Stuart "LaRage/Rage" Dixon and drummer Danny "Dante/Danté" Needham. The band's newest album, "Into Oblivion," was released in May — its first new recordings since 2018's "Storm The Gates." Louder describes it as Lant's 12th Venom album, while Blabbermouth lists it as the band's 16th studio album overall.

Legal dispute and rival Venom lineups

In June 2024, Lant sued Bray and distributor Plastic Head Music Distribution over merchandise featuring his copyrighted Venom designs; a court ruled that Bray owned the original logo, while Lant held copyright to most of the other disputed artwork. At the time of his death, several acts performed under variations of the Venom name — Lant's own lineup, a new collaboration between Dunn and Bray planning to mark the debut album's 45th anniversary at festivals in 2026, and Venom Inc., fronted by Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan. The band's statement did not address whether Venom will continue without Lant.