(This is the first in a new feature on releases that have influenced Thrash Metal)
There’s no debate in my opinion that Venom were “Band Zero” when it comes to extreme Metal. They were unfairly slated by a lot of people when they started out, but with hindsight they’re praised as probably the biggest influence on Thrash, Black and Death Metal. Among their legacy was the “Bulldozer Bass” sound that Bassist and vocalist Cronos is credited with introducing , which many, many extreme bands have used since. He was the guitarist in the original line-up of Venom, and when their bassist left he switched to that instrument. He decided to use a guitar amp to play through, and the rest is history!
Musically, it’s like a cross between Black Sabbath and Motorhead, with some Punk attitude thrown in for good measure.
My personal fave songs from this classic album are Poison, Schizo and Red Light Fever.
Listen to the album here:
THRASHMANIA\m/ 