Venom Inc. | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 2015–present |
Labels | Nuclear Blast |
Spinoff of | Venom |
Members |
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Past members |
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Website | venom-inc.co.uk |
Venom Inc. are a British heavy metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed in 2015, the band features former Venom members Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn, Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan and previously Anthony "Abaddon" Bray. Bray was replaced by Jeramie "War Machine" Kling in 2018, who was replaced by Marc "JXN" Jackson in 2024. The group has released two studio albums.
The history of Venom Inc. goes back to April 2015, when the band Mpire of Evil (with former Venom members Jeffrey Dunn and Tony Dolan) played at Keep It True festival in Germany. [1] At the gig, Dunn and Dolan invited drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray, another former Venom member, to play a few old Venom songs at the festival, [1] although Dunn and Bray had not spoken to each other for around 20 years. This spontaneous action led to the formation of Venom Inc., which consisted of the Venom line-up from 1989 to 1992: Dunn as guitarist, Dolan as singer and bassist and Bray as drummer.
The group's debut album, Avé, was released in August 2017 by Nuclear Blast. [2] "Dein Fleisch" and "Ave Satanas" were released as singles. In the same year, the band performed at MetalDays, [3] among others. At the end of April 2018, Dunn suffered a heart attack, which resulted in a brief cardiac arrest. He underwent double bypass surgery and has since recovered. [4] The band later revealed that Bray did not actually play drums on Avé and that they used a drum machine instead. [5] [6]
Bray took a break from band activities in early 2018 due to the birth of his daughter. [7] However, in September 2018, he announced that he would not be returning to the band. During his break, he had learned that he had been fired and Jeramie Kling would now be the band's new drummer. [8]
The band released their second studio album, There's Only Black, in September 2022. [9]
In November 2023, Kling parted ways with the band due to "logistical reasons". [10] He was replaced by Marc "JXN" Jackson in April 2024, previously of associated act Mpire of Evil. [11]
In April 2024, Jeffrey Dunn suffered a second heart attack and is in recovery. [12] Stepping in for tour duties is ex-Annihilator, ex-Nevermore and current 72 Legions guitar player Curran "Beleth" Murphy. [13]
In a 2017 Rock Hard interview, Tony Dolan stated that Venom Inc. was more than just a cover band, and that they want to experiment and surprise with songs like "Dein Fleisch". [14] In the same issue, Thomas Kupfer reviewed Avé, stating that the album is not for "music snobs", but offers "rowdy noise orgies". [15] Stephan Möller from Metal.de also reviewed the album and stated that it can be categorised somewhere between the first wave of black metal as well as speed metal and thrash metal. This brought the term "black 'n' roll" and a Motörhead comparison to his mind. Compared to the Venom albums Black Metal and Welcome to Hell , Venom Inc. sounds a little "rockier" and more like Motörhead. The music also has a more modern feel. Avé is "mature and probably the cleanest album that this constellation of musicians has ever recorded". [2]
Venom are an English heavy metal band formed in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1978. 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 major influences on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Their second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the black metal genre; as a result, Venom were part of the early wave of the genre, along with Mercyful Fate and Bathory.
Atomkraft are an English speed metal band from Newcastle, who were part of the new wave of British heavy metal movement. They formed in 1979, disbanded in 1988, and reformed in 2005. Atomkraft's "Total Metal" approach draws inspiration from fellow NWOBHM bands such as Motörhead and Venom, punk rock bands such as The Dickies, and early Exodus or Slayer. Lead vocalist/bassist Tony Dolan also fronted Venom for a number of years in the late 1980s and 90s.
Massacre is a Florida death metal band formed in 1984. The band has reunited several times with varying lineups, most recently in late 2016.
Welcome to Hell is the debut studio album by English heavy metal band Venom released in December 1981 through Neat Records. After various line-up changes and recording several demo tapes in Impulse Studios, Venom gained success and attention with the single "In League with Satan", their dark, satanic image and their fast, raw sound. The band re-recorded all of the demos' songs, which Neat Records released as an album.
The Absence is an American melodic death metal band from Tampa, Florida. Their style has been described as aggressive thrash metal with Scandinavian metal influences. They were previously signed to Metal Blade Records and are now signed to M-Theory Audio.
Possessed is the fourth studio album by English heavy metal band Venom, released on 8 April 1985. It is the band's last studio album to feature guitarist Jeffrey Dunn before his first departure from the band in 1986. At the time of its release, it received mixed reviews, even from critics who had liked Venom's earlier albums; Possessed was thought to be in another league as compared to the band's earlier works, even though much of the material on Possessed was written before the release of its predecessor, At War with Satan. It was the first Venom album recorded outside of Impulse Studios. The song "Possessed" is ranked No. 14 on the Parents Music Resource Center's "Filthy Fifteen", a list of the 15 songs the group found to be most objectionable.
Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn is a British guitarist and one of the founding members of the heavy metal band Venom, with which he played as a guitarist from 1979 to 1985 and 1989 to 2002. He plays in Venom Inc. alongside fellow former Venom member bassist/vocalist Tony Dolan.
Temples of Ice is the seventh studio album by English heavy metal band Venom. The album was originally supposed to be produced by ex-Child's Play producer Howard Benson; however, he was unavailable. The band decided to stay with Kevin Ridley, who co-produced the band's previous album Prime Evil. It was released on Under One Flag records in 1991, and marketed and distributed by Music for Nations.
Prime Evil is the sixth studio album by British heavy metal band Venom. It was released in 1989 and is the first in a series of three albums with Atomkraft bassist and vocalist Tony Dolan, replacing Conrad "Cronos" Lant, as a band member and composer.
The Waste Lands is the eighth studio album by British heavy metal band Venom. It is the last with bassist/singer Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan and also the last before the reunion of the classic Venom line-up from their first four albums, Welcome to Hell, Black Metal, At War with Satan and Possessed. Like the previous album, Temples of Ice, the album was originally supposed to be produced by ex-Child's Play producer Howard Benson, however he was once again unavailable so the band decided to stay with Kevin Ridley. The working title for this album was Kissing the Beast, but the band changed it when they got the album cover from Tari József.
Eine kleine Nachtmusik is a live album released by English heavy metal band Venom in 1986. It contains partial recordings of two different concerts with two different setlists. The first disc contains a show recorded at Hammersmith Odeon in London on 8 October 1985 and the second disc recorded at The Ritz in New York City on 4 and 5 April 1986. The title Eine kleine Nachtmusik is German for "A Little Night Music". The title is taken from Mozart's piece of the same name.
Anthony MichaelDolan, also known by his nickname Demolition Man, is an English musician, best known as the bassist and vocalist of heavy metal band Atomkraft and formerly Venom. He currently plays in Venom Inc. alongside fellow former Venom member Mantas.
Antony "Antton" Lant is an English drummer, best known for his time with thrash metal band Venom. He was the band's drummer from 2000 to 2009 and recorded three albums with them. His oldest brother is Graham Lant, former drummer of Prefab Sprout,. He is a direct cousin of the frontman of Enthroned, Nornagest.
"Countess Bathory" is a song by English heavy metal band Venom. The song originally appeared on the band's 1982 album Black Metal as well as their 1986 live album Eine kleine Nachtmusik.
Under Attack is the thirteenth studio album by the German thrash metal band Destruction, released on 13 May 2016.
Jeramie Kling is an American drummer, recording engineer, producer, and live sound engineer for the metal bands The Absence and Venom Inc. He is also a member of Ribspreader (drums), Goregäng, and Metal Blade act Necromancing the Stone. Kling was a member of death metal band Massacre from 2019 to 2020. In 2021, he formed the band Inhuman Condition with Massacre and Obituary bassist Terry Butler (ex-Death) and Taylor Nordberg. In August 2024, Kling joined thrash metal band Overkill as touring drummer.
"In League with Satan" is the first song released by the English extreme metal band Venom. It was released on 17 April 1981 as a single with the B-side "Live Like an Angel" by Neat Records and later appeared on the band's first album, Welcome to Hell. The song has been cited as the first black metal song and is also often cited by critics who claim a connection between heavy metal and Satanism.
"Bloodlust" is a single released by English speed metal band Venom on August 13, 1982 through Neat Records. It is the bands second single and the follow-up to their debut single "In League with Satan".