Venom's original personnel came from three different bands: Guillotine, Oberon and Dwarfstar. The original Guillotine featured Jeffrey Dunn and Dave Rutherford on guitars, Dean Hewitt on bass guitar, Dave Blackman on vocals, and Chris Mercater on drums who replaced Paul Burke, the original drummer when the band was founded. Blackman and Mercater were later also replaced by drummer Anthony Bray and vocalist Clive Archer. Later, Dean Hewitt was replaced by Alan Winston on bass. Around that time a number of personnel changes occurred. Clive Archer, Eric Cook, Tony Bray and Ian Kell formed a band while working at Reyrolles. Ian Kell was replaced in mid-1978. In late 1979, Conrad Lant replaced Dave Rutherford. Lant later switched to bass after the departure of Winston. The band members took on new stage names. Archer became "Jesus Christ", Lant "Cronos", Tony Bray "Abbadon", and Jeff Dunn "Mantas".
Prime influences of the formative band were Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Kiss. Other musicians that have influenced Venom are Deep Purple, Sex Pistols, the Who, the Tubes, Van Halen, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley.
'Welcome to Hell' influenced several later bands. Venom's music helped shape the development of many thrash metal bands, specifically the "Big Four of Thrash" (who in turn were highly influential): Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth (Metallica opened for Venom on an early 1980s tour, and Venom opened for Metallica and Slayer on the Ride the Lightning tour, and Slayer played with them and Exodus on the Combat Tour in 1985). Venom would also be of extreme importance to the black metal scene and even the early death metal scene, with numerous bands copying styles, themes, and imagery from the band, such as the Swiss band Hellhammer (later to become Celtic Frost), whom also helped pioneer the genres. Music critic Bradley Torreano wrote that Venom "caught the attention of both metalheads and punks, the band was emulated by the former and turned into camp icons by the latter." Henry Rollins once compared the band to Spinal Tap.
Antechrist
Venom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wear the seal of death
I hold the keys to destiny
Steal your dying breath
Your breath
Your breath
Your breath
King of inhuman race
Lightning sets the pace
Antechrist
There is no sweet salvation
Your soul belongs to me
A screaming pain for redemption
My angels watch you bleed
You bleed
You bleed
You bleed
We sell you pain and anger
And thrive on sex and lies
I summon storms to please me
And you beg to the skies
The skies
The skies
The skies
The lyrics of Venom's song Antechrist could be interpreted as coming from the perspective of the Antichrist, who is a figure in Christian eschatology that is said to represent the opposite of Christ and to bring about the end of the world. The singer claims to bear the soul of Satan and wear the seal of death, suggesting that he is a powerful and malevolent force. He holds the keys to destiny and can steal your dying breath, indicating his control over life and death. The chorus, which repeats the word "Antechrist," reinforces his status as a dark and formidable figure.
The second verse continues the theme of the singer's power over others. He claims that there is no sweet salvation and that your soul belongs to him. He takes pleasure in others' pain and watches them bleed. The singer and his followers thrive on sex and lies, and he has the ability to summon storms at will. The final line implies that even when others pray for help from above, it is of no use because the Antechrist has already taken control of the skies.
Overall, the lyrics of Antechrist paint a picture of a powerful and malevolent force that revels in destruction, pain, and chaos. It is a frightening and compelling perspective, one that is sure to leave an impression on listeners.
Line by Line Meaning
I bear the soul of Satan
I possess the spirit of Satan within me
I wear the seal of death
I bear the insignia of death, indicating a connection with it
I hold the keys to destiny
I wield the power to control fate
Steal your dying breath
I steal the final breath of those who are dying
Your breath
Your most basic and vital instinct
Your breath
The very essence of your life
Your breath
The inescapable force of physical mortality
Staring death in the face
Confronting the inevitable reality of death
King of inhuman race
The ultimate ruler of those who are inhumane
Lightning sets the pace
The power and speed of lightning sets the tone
Antechrist
The opposing force to the teachings of Christ
There is no sweet salvation
There is no blissful rescue or deliverance
Your soul belongs to me
I possess and control your eternal soul
A screaming pain for redemption
A wailing existence that begs for redemption
My angels watch you bleed
My minions observe and revel in your pain and suffering
You bleed
You are physically wounded and bleeding
You bleed
Your life force is seeping out of you
You bleed
You are emotionally wounded and suffering
You bleed
You are under my control and suffering
We sell you pain and anger
We market your emotional and physical anguish
And thrive on sex and lies
We flourish by promoting sexual depravity and dishonesty
I summon storms to please me
I call forth tempests for my own pleasure
And you beg to the skies
As you suffer, you plead for mercy from the heavens
The skies
The vast and mysterious realm above us
The skies
The place where many believe their gods reside
The skies
The source of perceived divine intervention
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTONY ESME LANT, CONRAD THOMAS LANT, MIKE HICKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Almeida Christian
Um dos melhores hinos dessa banda.
attilaevil
Totally awesome song !
rayveX
so good yet so underrated
bonehead 13
chronos is the original metal badass
Shoelace
@Thane Smash Montages *Dave
Thane Smash Montages
*Cronos
Max Hauke
I don't why I didn't listen to Venom years ago when I first heard about them but after listening to every album and the Venom Inc album I can say that they are one of my favorite bands now
Dwane Noble
Hell yeah!
Dwane Noble
Where has this band been hiding?
LBH
Dirty as fuck yeah🔥