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.
Burn in Hell
Venom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Disaster speaks his name
Ignite the fires of Hades
A world engulfed in flame
You burn - in hell
Visions shared by the blind
The chase heats up the danger
Old dragons breath
Inferno - You're gonna crash and burn
Inferno - You're gonna burn in hell
Blood eyes in burning fury
Flesh peeling from the bone
The Gods are judge and jury
Inferno is their home
You cry - You die
As you head for the grave
Welcome to purgatory
Your soul is fried
Eternal night encroaches
Disaster speaks his name
Ignite the fires of Hades
A world engulfed in flame
You burn - in hell
Visions shared by the blind
The chase heats up the danger
Old dragons breath
The lyrics of "Burn in Hell" by Venom depict an apocalyptic scenario in which the world is set ablaze and enveloped in flames, with eternal darkness creeping in. The verses describe the chaos and destruction in vivid detail, with "blood eyes in burning fury" and "flesh peeling from the bone." The chorus serves as a warning to those who have sinned and have not followed the path of righteousness, as they are fated to burn in hell for eternity. The final lines of the song suggest that this is not an isolated incident but rather a recurring cycle, as "eternal night encroaches" once again and "disaster speaks his name."
The imagery presented in "Burn in Hell" is that of a classic apocalypse, which has been the subject of many myths, stories, and religious beliefs throughout history. The idea of an all-consuming fire and eternal damnation for sinners is a common motif in religious texts such as the Bible and the Quran, and this song draws upon those myths to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere. The use of vivid language and graphic descriptions creates a sense of urgency and danger, as if the listener is witnessing the end of the world.
Venom was known for their uncompromising and aggressive style of heavy metal, often referred to as "black metal." This song, released in 1997, is a prime example of their sound and lyrical content. The band's members were also notorious for their Satanic imagery and controversial lyrics, which often led to accusations of promoting violence and offending religious sensibilities. However, fans of the band saw them as pioneers of a new genre of metal that was more extreme and raw than anything that had come before.
Line by Line Meaning
Eternal night encroaches
Darkness is spreading and consuming everything around
Disaster speaks his name
Misery and destruction are following him wherever he goes
Ignite the fires of Hades
Start the flames of hell and bring chaos and torment
A world engulfed in flame
The entire world is burning and being destroyed
You burn - in hell
You will suffer and be punished in the fires of hell
Visions shared by the blind
People are blindly following a destructive path that will lead to their demise
The chase heats up the danger
Pursuing reckless desires is increasing the risks and threatening everyone's safety
Old dragons breath
A powerful and destructive force is about to be unleashed
Inferno - You're gonna crash and burn
You're headed towards a fiery and catastrophic downfall
Inferno - You're gonna burn in hell
Your actions will lead you to eternal damnation and torment
Blood eyes in burning fury
His eyes are filled with rage and hatred, and he's on a destructive rampage
Flesh peeling from the bone
The pain and suffering is so intense that even the body is unable to withstand it
The Gods are judge and jury
Divine justice will be served and he will face the consequences of his actions
Inferno is their home
Hell is where the wicked and sinful are condemned to spend eternity
You cry - You die
Desperation and fear will only lead to a swift and merciless end
As you head for the grave
Death is inevitable and the end is near
Welcome to purgatory
A place of temporary suffering and purification before judgement is passed
Your soul is fried
Your spirit is consumed and damaged, beyond repair
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTHONY LANT, CONRAD T. LANT, MICHAEL A. HICKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Isaac Hester
This album and band in general is just so FUN. Pure, unadulterated fun. Like I don’t have to think too hard to just enjoy the hell out of this music.
Shooter McGavin
I'm not a fan of black metal by any means but this song is absolutely wicked awesome.
Cody Sautner
Over 10,000 views. Thanks to everyone who has checked out my video. Stay metal and hail Venom!
Isus Krist
I just started listening to Venom and so far they are great But i dont know anyone who has heard for them
heck
Science teacher: What's the difference between venom and poison? Me: Venom is black metal and poison is glam metal.
Michael
heck - congrats, you are a winner
alexander ferus
poison is glam fluff rock and sure as hell not metal
alexander ferus
venom is metal
Kaloqn Velinov
I mean lets be honest venom is evil disco and i mean this in the best way possible. Love the band.
wizarddemon 5000
Not only this album is good the cover makes me practice for a staring contest