Venom Founder, Bassist and Vocalist Conrad 'Cronos' Lant Dies at 63
The founding Venom musician whose bass, voice and creative direction helped shape early extreme metal has died at 63.
Oct 2, 2026
Credit: Necroshorns / BMG (via source)
Conrad 'Cronos' Lant, founding member, bassist and vocalist of Venom, has died at 63. BMG confirmed his death on October 1 and described him as being at the heart of the band for more than four decades.
Venom's early records Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982) became foundational reference points for thrash and extreme metal, with the latter lending its name to the black-metal genre. With guitarist Mantas and drummer Abaddon, Cronos also recorded At War With Satan (1984) and Possessed (1985). BMG notes that Lant remained active on the band's sixteenth studio album, Into Oblivion, released earlier in 2026, with Cronos on vocals and bass. For players, he was not only the frontman: his aggressive bass approach was a core part of the band's sound and its influence on later heavy music.
Credit: Venom / BMG
Why it matters
Cronos was a foundational heavy-music bassist whose playing and songwriting helped establish a vocabulary later absorbed by generations of metal guitar and bass players.
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