VENOM's Legendary Founders Unite for 45th Anniversary Bash
In a thunderous display of metal might, Adam "Nergal" Darski (BEHEMOTH), David Vincent (MORBID ANGEL), and other titans of the scene joined the legendary duo of Jeff "Mantas" Dunn and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray to commemorate the 45th anniversary of VENOM's seminal debut album, 'Welcome To Hell.' The event unfolded at Parksnäckan in Uppsala, Sweden, where the air was thick with nostalgia and raw power. Fan-captured footage from the show, courtesy of Nalle Österman for Riepu.fi, showcases the towering figures of extreme metal paying homage to a record that birthed a genre.
As the founders of a movement, Mantas and Abaddon have been vocal about the current state of the VENOM legacy, which has splintered into three factions of the band. Mantas, in an unfiltered rant to The Metal Voice, asserted his primacy in the band's history, dismissing the other iterations as mere vehicles for performing VENOM's music. His words echoed with a fierce truth: "I'm the founder member of VENOM. If there's a co-founder, it's Abaddon. Cronos was the last one to join." This blunt declaration sets the stage for a heavy debate about authenticity and legacy in the world of metal.
The reunion was not just a nostalgic trip down memory lane but a desperate attempt to reclaim VENOM's rightful place in metal history. Mantas reflected, "This stupid fucking band has missed every major anniversary in its history. We've never celebrated an anniversary of this band." With the help of festival mastermind Oliver Weinsheimer from Keep It True, Mantas and Abaddon summoned their comrades to pay tribute to the groundbreaking 'Welcome To Hell,' recognizing its profound impact on extreme metal.
But what will this collaboration be called? Mantas cryptically stated, "As far as I'm concerned, there's no fucking name to it." The visual identity will be Abaddon's VENOM logo, with the tagline 'Mantas and Abaddon' crowning the lineup of special guests. This move is as much about reclaiming the narrative as it is about performing the music that shaped generations of metalheads.
The duo's decision to return to the stage together is not without its complexities. Mantas candidly dismissed comparisons to other reunions, emphasizing the unique influence VENOM has wielded in the metal landscape from day one. "This band has had so much influence... especially when that album came out. Extreme metal is around, people say, because of us," he declared, capturing the essence of their legacy.
As the crowd's energy surged, the response from fans has been overwhelmingly positive, with Mantas noting, "90 percent has been really, really positive." Yet, the specter of Cronos looms large. Those clinging to nostalgia and the traditional lineup must confront the reality of the band's fractured history, something Mantas confronts with a fiery spirit. "If you were having problems with your wife... you wouldn't invite that back in," he quipped, reflecting the raw emotions tied to the band's storied past. In the world of heavy metal, where legends are forged and rivalries run deep, Mantas and Abaddon are rewriting their narrative, one brutal riff at a time.