Conrad “Cronos” Lant, frontman of Venom, has died

Conrad Thomas Lant, known to all as Cronos, singer, bassist and the heart and soul of Venom, has died at 63 — a pivotal figure in the birth and evolution of extreme metal. The death of the British musician, which occurred on September 29, was announced by the band through a message signed by guitarist Rage, drummer Danté and Nathan, Lant's son. The cause of death has not been disclosed.

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Born in London on January 15, 1963 and raised in the North East of England, Lant gravitated toward music at a very young age, caught between punk and hard rock. After early stints with a few local outfits, at 16 he joined Guillotine, the nucleus from which Venom would be born. Initially a guitarist, he later switched to bass and vocals, taking the name Cronos and becoming frontman of the trio completed by Jeffrey "Mantas" Dunn on guitar and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray on drums.
With "Welcome To Hell" in 1981, Venom unleashed a brutal mix of heavy metal, punk speed, distortion and satanic imagery that seemed to deliberately push past the limits of metal at the time. But it was the follow-up, "Black Metal", released in 1982, that left the most indelible mark: the title ended up lending its name to an entire genre, even as Venom's music simultaneously anticipated several traits of thrash and later forms of extreme metal.

Their historical weight was vastly greater than their commercial returns. The primitive aggression and uncompromising attitude of the Newcastle band became a touchstone for the next generation, profoundly influencing the underground scene of the Eighties and bands like Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. Their role was further cemented by "At War With Satan" in 1984 and "Possessed" in 1985, rounding out a run of albums destined to become essential to the genealogy of extreme metal. At the center of that universe was Cronos, with his snarling vocals, distorted bass and a stage presence built on leather, provocation and demonic imagery. A theatricality that Lant himself summed up in one of his most famous statements: "Ozzy Osbourne sang about the devil. I wanted to be the devil." Behind the provocation, though, lay a precise musical idea: to create something "raw and dangerous", far removed from the polish and conventions of traditional heavy metal.

After five albums with Venom, in 1988 Lant temporarily left the band and moved to the United States, where he launched the Cronos project, releasing "Dancing In The Fire" in 1990 and "Rock 'N' Roll Disease" in 1993. He returned to Venom in 1995 and, despite lineup changes, splits and clashes with former bandmates, remained the main thread of continuity throughout the band's history. Mantas left for good in 2002, Abaddon in 1999; since 2009 Cronos had settled into a new lineup alongside Rage and Danté.
At the same time, he also took part in outside projects: in 2004 he was among the guests on "Probot", Dave Grohl's metal album, and over the years he collaborated with, among others, HammerFall and Necrodeath. Venom's latest release is "Into Oblivion", their sixteenth studio album, out in May 2026.

"For more than four decades, Conrad's voice, bass and vision were at the heart of Venom," his bandmates recalled. "From the first dark rumblings of 'Welcome To Hell', through 'Black Metal', 'At War With Satan', 'Possessed' and beyond, he created something that changed heavy music forever." A thought was also extended to the "Legions", the fans Cronos always considered an integral part of the band's story.
His son Nathan also addressed them: "I want to thank all the Legions for all the support you gave my dad over the years. I know he truly appreciated all of you. He has laid down his soul, and his music will live on. The legend of Cronos will never die."
With Cronos's death, one of the key figures in heavy metal's first, decisive transformation into something faster, darker and more radical is gone.

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