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.
Warhead
Venom Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Power burning - hell & man
Raging torment - take my hand
Frenzied motions - reach your soul
Dance the warhead - fast or slow
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Born of thunder
Raised by fire
Call the heavens
By desire
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Screaming furnace - death of life
Demons calling - chosen wives
Sabbats charming - out in lust
Chance the warhead - win or bust
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Warhead - engraved on flesh & bone
Warhead - born of mortal stone
The song "Warhead" by Venom is a powerful and aggressive track that speaks to the destruction wrought by war. The opening lines, "Warhead - hear the thunder roar. Warhead - unite the lightning whore," set the tone for the rest of the song. The warhead is a symbol of both power and destruction, and the lightning whore represents the chaotic energy that accompanies warfare.
Throughout the song, we hear vivid descriptions of the effects of war, from the "power burning - hell & man" to the "screaming furnace - death of life." There is a sense of frenzied motion and frenetic energy that builds, culminating in the call to "dance the warhead - fast or slow." This suggests that even in the midst of destruction, there is a wild, almost ritualistic celebration of power and energy.
The closing lines, "Warhead - engraved on flesh & bone. Warhead - born of mortal stone," bring the song back to its origins. The warhead is both a physical object and a metaphor for the cycle of violence and destruction that has plagued humanity for centuries. Overall, "Warhead" is a dark and powerful tribute to the destructive potential of human conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Feel the power of the weapon with the sound of the thunder.
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Bring together the destructive forces of the lightning and the weapon.
Power burning - hell & man
The weapon's power compares to the flames of hell and the might of man.
Raging torment - take my hand
Embrace the weapon's devastating wrath.
Frenzied motions - reach your soul
Let the weapon's movement penetrate your being.
Dance the warhead - fast or slow
Follow the weapon's lead in destruction, at any pace.
Born of thunder
The weapon is created from thunderous power.
Raised by fire
The weapon's potency is fueled by the intensity of flames.
Call the heavens
Summon divine intervention through the use of the weapon.
By desire
Use the weapon for whichever purpose one has the strongest desire for.
Screaming furnace - death of life
The weapon's destruction has the force of an agonized fire, eradicating life.
Demons calling - chosen wives
The weapon's power is of an underworldly essence, calling forth the weapon's chosen wielders.
Sabbats charming - out in lust
The weapon's temptation and charm cause lustful desires to drive one towards wielding the weapon.
Chance the warhead - win or bust
Taking the chance to use the weapon will either bring victory or total destruction.
Warhead - engraved on flesh & bone
The weapon's destruction remains etched permanently on the bodies of its victims.
Warhead - born of mortal stone
The weapon's creation is sourced from the earthen materials of humanity.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTHONY BRAY, CONRAD LANT, JEFFREY DUNN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mr Eddie
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Power burning - hell & man
Raging torment - take my hand
Frenzied motions - reach your soul
Dance the warhead - fast or slow
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Born of thunder
Raised by fire
Call the heavens
By desire
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Screaming furnace - death of life
Demons calling - chosen wives
Sabbats charming - out in lust
Chance the warhead - win or bust
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Warhead - engraved on flesh & bone
Warhead - born of mortal stone
Mr Eddie
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Power burning - hell & man
Raging torment - take my hand
Frenzied motions - reach your soul
Dance the warhead - fast or slow
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Born of thunder
Raised by fire
Call the heavens
By desire
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Screaming furnace - death of life
Demons calling - chosen wives
Sabbats charming - out in lust
Chance the warhead - win or bust
Warhead - hear the thunder roar
Warhead - unite the lightning whore
Warhead - engraved on flesh & bone
Warhead - born of mortal stone
Sami Aario
"unite the lightning whore"
Should be horde though. Why is it not horde?
C4RV3DH4M
Love the raw production on this one.
Warren Nelson
Sickness (good)! 👍
Wile.E.shaggedmyshihtzu
Good point! How could one band invent all the things that they invented, at the same time, while the vast majority of the rest of the population of the world all think it is nothing but a load of pish?
Who cares? At least we know. Right 😉
Brian Reddish
Yeah, I agree, it's one of the coolest Metal band logos EVER! Believe it or not, it was designed by the same person that created the band YES's logo!
Dario Di Iasio
Was he the one who drawn thin lizzy covers too?
DARREN MILLEN
i totally see it now. cool tidbit of knowledge
Marcelo Ramos Brandão
Waaaarheeeeeeaad!!!!! Arrebentei com minhas cordas vocais durantes o show do Venom Inc. no Rio!!!
Krauss Maffei
I miss the extended version of this masterpiece!