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.
Hammerhead
Venom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fantastic revelation
Demanding withstanding
The energy is blinding
Believing receiving exactly
What we're needing
Beholding unfolding see clearly
Run towards your goal
The metal's in your soul
Hammerhead, hammerhead
Hammerhead, headbanger
We're standing and shouting while
Punching air in timing
The sound of the mayhem is really
All we're here for
Whatever the season
We never need a reason
You know I'm not lying, some things
Are well worth dying
(For)
Race towards your goal
Black metal's in your soul
Hammerhead, hammerhead
Hammerhead, headbanger
You look to the future
You don't know if it suits you
Then take it or leave it
Won't force you to believe it
But don't come back crying
We're off again and flying
We live for the metal, no other
For we'd settle
Run towards your goal
The metal's in your soul
The lyrics to Venom's song Hammerhead delve into the heavy metal culture and its die-hard following. In tribal chant-like verses, the singer describes the powerful and all-consuming energy that is experienced during a metal concert. The sight and sound of thousands of fans "standing and shouting while punching air in timing" creates a thrilling and empowering experience.
The chorus tells the listener to "run towards your goal" with "the metal's in your soul." This nods to the fact that many hardcore metal fans are driven by a passion for the music and the culture surrounding it. The singer emphasizes that the metal lifestyle is not for everyone, but for those who choose it, it is a way of life worth living and even dying for.
The bridge adds a touch of cautionary advice, suggesting that those who do not fully embrace the metal lifestyle may not be ready for the intensity of the experience, and may end up "crying" if they try to join in. However, the message overall is one of unity and strength in the metal community.
Line by Line Meaning
In tribal cantation
We begin with a song that belongs to a community that is likely to repeat it for a long time
Fantastic revelation
This is a strikingly imaginative discovery that will probably leave us amazed
Demanding withstanding
We will be asked to be resilient and persistent in our efforts to achieve our goals
The energy is blinding
The force that we are going to generate will be so strong that it will affect and blind us in some way
Believing receiving exactly
We will receive exactly what we need if we believe in it strongly enough
What we're needing
We will get precisely what we need, although it might not be what we expected or wanted initially
Beholding unfolding see clearly
We will witness the gradual development of something, and its true nature will become apparent to us with a clear vision
Where we're going
We will know where we're headed, and the direction we've taken will be undoubtedly correct
Run towards your goal
We should chase our objectives fearlessly with a clear vision in our mind
The metal's in your soul
We should have resilience, strength, and an inflexible spirit that are characteristic of a determined heavy metal fan
Hammerhead, hammerhead
The song repeatedly emphasizes the singer's single-minded concentration on achieving his goals.
Hammerhead, headbanger
The headbanger is a devotee of heavy metal music who thrashes his head up and down rhythmically.
We're standing and shouting while
We're singing at the top of our voices and showing our support for an important cause
Punching air in timing
We're matching the rhythm of the music while gesturing forcefully in the air
The sound of the mayhem is really
The loud and disorderly music and the uproar it causes are what we enjoy the most
All we're here for
This is the reason we came to this event
Whatever the season
We don't care what season it is because our love for heavy metal transcends the weather
We never need a reason
We aren't looking for any rationale for why we adore this music because we appreciate it for what it is
You know I'm not lying, some things
These are the things we believe in wholeheartedly and would never lie about them
Are well worth dying (For)
These convictions are so noble and respectable that we are ready to defend them, even if it means sacrificing our lives
Race towards your goal
We should hurry to propel ourselves toward our objectives with a fierce determination
Black metal's in your soul
The song is a tribute to the Black Metal music genre's enthusiasts, and their ardency reflects their attitude towards the music
You look to the future
We're thinking ahead, considering the potential consequences of our actions in light of our objectives
You don't know if it suits you
We're acknowledging that we don't know for certain what might be the best course of action given the circumstances
Then take it or leave it
We're leaving the choice entirely up to you, and you can either accept or reject it based on your preferences
Won't force you to believe it
We are not going to compel you to accept our perspective but instead will present it as an option
But don't come back crying
We don't want you to regret your decision later since you had the option of opting out
We're off again and flying
We're eager to go again and chase our objectives relentlessly with full force
We live for the metal, no other
We are committed to the genre of music and couldn't imagine living without it.
For we'd settle
Our love for the music is unmatched, and we couldn't settle for anything else
Contributed by Keira K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
JORN NORD
This is awesome! Venom is pure rock'n roll and has always been. Nothing dark about it except the imagery and lyrics.
Gamerview
finally a venom song that is not recorded with a shoe
maria luz fernandez
A song not recorded in a nokia 1100 lol
Emperor drago
they should remaster the old albums
p4horror
Way to go Venom!!! This song is a triumph of metal majesty that is Venom.
Teddie Prine
This so awesome, hail to Venom!!!!!!!
TomF
THE SOUND OF THE MAYHEM IS REALLY ALL WE'RE HERE FOR
Hugh Spencer
I liked this album, but I liked Metal Black a lot more. This song though...when I first put the CD in...I think i repeated this song like 2 or 3 times So good
Major zero
Masterpiece
Nocturno
Fuck yeah this song is perfect !