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, Motรถrhead, 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.
Hours of Darkness
Venom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeding the bastards, rebirth or destroy
Hours of darkness
Turn on the night
Awaken ebony
Begin twilight
The night is calling, it's kill or be killed
Kill kill - Be killed
Kill kill - Be killed - Kill
Fading to blackness, Flat out on your back
Reveals the answer, the time to attack
Hours of darkness
Turn on the night
Awaken ebony
Begin twilight
Hours of darkness
Turn into the night
Eclipse is darkening
Black wings flight
The lyrics of Venom's song Hours of Darkness depict a dark and menacing atmosphere, setting the tone for the themes of destruction and survival. The first two lines of the song introduce the idea of being lost and trapped, unable to see beyond the shadows, while also implying a sense of powerlessness in the face of malevolent forces represented by the "bastards." The choice between "rebirth or destroy" is presented as a consequence of this struggle, with the implication being that one must either embrace the darkness or succumb to it.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more explicit in their reference to violence and confrontation. "Late in December" suggests a time of bleakness and despair, with the "deadly chill" of winter serving as an additional symbol of death and discomfort. The line "it's kill or be killed" reinforces these ideas, signaling a brutal worldview where conflict is inevitable and survival is paramount. The repetition of "kill" and "be killed" reinforces this dichotomy and emphasizes the stakes of the situation. Finally, the end of the song depicts a moment of clarity and strength, with the singer revealing the "answer" and readying themselves for an attack. The last four lines repeat the chorus, with the imagery of "ebony" and "black wings flight" emphasizing the darkness and danger of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost in the shadows, gaze into the void
Feeling lost and overwhelmed, looking into the darkness, searching for meaning or direction.
Feeding the bastards, rebirth or destroy
Being forced to do the bidding of others, must decide whether to accept this role or fight to destroy those who control you.
Hours of darkness
A period of time marked by fear, hopelessness, or despair.
Turn on the night
Accepting the darkness within oneself and using it to confront one's fears or enemies.
Awaken ebony
Coming to terms with one's own darkness or the inherent darkness of the world.
Begin twilight
Entering a liminal state between light and dark, life and death, or good and evil.
Late in December coldness deadly chill
A metaphor for death or the end of a cycle, with the coldness suggesting a lack of warmth or compassion.
The night is calling, it's kill or be killed
Feeling pushed to the brink, with the only options seeming to be to fight or die.
Kill kill - Be killed
An echo of the previous line, emphasizing the urgency and danger of the situation.
Fading to blackness, Flat out on your back
Surrendering to the darkness or to death, with no hope of escape or redemption.
Reveals the answer, the time to attack
Finding clarity or a sense of purpose, and using it to strike back against one's enemies.
Eclipse is darkening
A metaphor for the intensification of darkness or evil, as if a celestial force is aligned against the artist.
Black wings flight
A symbol of menace or coming danger, suggesting that something about to descend onto the singer or the world.
Lyrics ยฉ Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTONY ESME LANT, CONRAD THOMAS LANT, MICHAEL A. HICKEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
nemesis
That was surprisingly amazing. The guitar work sounds awesome and the vocals feel natural. ๐ค๐ค
Sad Recluse
Hellish greatness
Michael
This album is good to listen to.
Emrah Uncu
No, compared to their previous album, this one, especially the first half of it, is disappointing.
Topic Infinite
1:38 best part
wizarddemon 5000
Good stuff
Vicki McLaughlin
bad bad bad bad bad music!!!!!
Hey you weirdo
@Marcos Paulo Oliveira Ele nem รฉ brasileiro kkkkk
wizarddemon 5000
What is up with people this days
VIIEVEN
You're bad.