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.
Judgement Day
Venom Lyrics
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So we can see the way
Destiny has spoken
And there's hell to pay
The sceptics light the candles
For the eternal right
Blinded faith's are broken
Ghosts of father's die
Sold as saved
Judgement day
Left betrayed
Final grave
Judgement day
The message burns the answer
On the bones of the dead
Without the necromancers
Hope hangs from a thread
The chaos devastation
Licks immortal sin
Mother earth is now ridden
Of those who pray to win
Souls as slaves
Sold as saved
Judgement day
Left betrayed
Final grave
Judgement day
In distant darkened orders
The prophets read the signs
The overlords move over
To let the blood move over
To let the blood life shine
Erasing false deceptions
An antidote for lies
Religious rigormortis
When man as beast arise
Souls as slaves
Sold as saved
Judgement day
Left betrayed
Final grave
Judgement day
The lyrics of Venom's song "Judgement Day" speak to the idea of a reckoning for humanity's actions, often interpreted as an apocalypse or end of the world scenario. The opening lines speak to the idea that something has awoken in the world, and that destiny or fate has spoken, indicating there will be consequences. The references to sceptics lighting candles, broken blinded faiths, and ghosts of fathers dying suggest a world in which beliefs and ideologies are being questioned or outright destroyed. The chorus references "souls as slaves sold as saved" which could indicate the idea that people have been led astray by false prophets or institutions, sold on the idea of salvation but actually enslaved by their own beliefs.
The second verse talks about chaos and devastation, possibly indicating that the apocalypse or end of the world has already occurred. The line "Mother earth is now ridden of those who pray to win" suggests that those who have clung to their beliefs above all else have been forsaken or punished. The third and final verse speaks to the idea of false deceptions and the need to erase them in order to move forward. The idea of religious rigormortis, or the rigid adherence to religious dogma, is presented as something that must be overcome in order for mankind to truly rise above our beastly nature.
Line by Line Meaning
When dormant eyes burst open
When people who were once disengaged suddenly become aware
So we can see the way
So we can understand the path that lies ahead
Destiny has spoken
The future is clear and inevitable
And there's hell to pay
There will be consequences for our actions
The sceptics light the candles
Even the doubters are preparing for what's to come
For the eternal right
For the forces of good that will always prevail
Blinded faith's are broken
Blindly following beliefs that don't align with reality no longer works
Ghosts of father's die
Old ways of thinking are no longer relevant and are fading away
Souls as slaves
People are trapped by their own thoughts and beliefs
Sold as saved
Believing that they are saved despite being enslaved by their own minds
Judgement day
A reckoning is coming
Left betrayed
Many will feel abandoned by the beliefs they once held
Final grave
The end of an era
The message burns the answer
The truth is being revealed in a powerful and undeniable way
On the bones of the dead
Past mistakes and failures become clear as day
Without the necromancers
Without the influence of those who manipulate the dead or irrelevant beliefs
Hope hangs from a thread
The future is uncertain, but there may still be a glimmer of hope
The chaos devastation
The chaos and suffering that come with major change
Licks immortal sin
The sins of the past may never truly be erased or forgotten
Mother earth is now ridden
The planet has become burdened and polluted by humanity's actions
Of those who pray to win
Those who seek success through prayer rather than action
In distant darkened orders
In secret, hidden places
The prophets read the signs
The wise see the writing on the wall and understand what's coming
The overlords move over
The powerful are being replaced by new leadership
To let the blood move over
To make way for difficult but necessary changes
To let the blood life shine
To let new growth and progress flourish
Erasing false deceptions
Removing misguided beliefs and falsehoods
An antidote for lies
The truth as medicine to counteract lies
Religious rigormortis
The cold, unyielding nature of dogmatic, inflexible religious beliefs
When man as beast arise
When our baser instincts and behaviors come to the surface
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LOLLY VEGAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind