Venom Singer Conrad 'Cronos' Lant Dies at 63
Venom singer and bassist Conrad “Cronos” Lant has died at the age of 63.
The band announced his death in an Instagram post on Thursday, Oct. 1. The news was reported by Billboard on Oct. 2.
“It is with profound sadness and broken hearts that we share the news that Conrad ‘Cronos’ Lant has passed away,” the band said in the announcement. No cause of death was available at the time of that report. Lant died on Oct. 1, according to Decibel.
Lant sang and played bass for Venom. The band described his voice, bass and vision as being at the heart of Venom for more than four decades. In a small line-up, that dual role carries weight. The bass holds the low end while the voice carries the words, in rehearsal, in the studio and on stage.
Venom are a heavy metal band from Newcastle in the north of England, in the United Kingdom. The Guardian identified Newcastle as the band’s home city. Variety described the group as a Northern British heavy metal band.
Venom have been described as black metal pioneers, a term for one of heavy metal’s fastest and most abrasive strands, marked by harsh vocals and high-speed guitar work. That description was used by Blabbermouth in its reporting of Lant’s death. For new listeners, the label places Venom among the early bands whose sound helped define that strand.
That early sound travelled widely. Variety reported that Venom influenced Metallica and Slayer, two later heavy bands with large global followings. Influence here means musical example rather than business connection. Venom came first. Others followed.
The announcement included words from Lant’s son as well as from the band, according to Loudwire. No further details about funeral arrangements or tributes were included in the confirmed reports. No cause of death had been confirmed when Billboard published its report on Oct. 2.
Bands often announce a death first through their own channels. Family statements, label notes and promoter updates usually follow. In this case, the band’s Instagram post came first, with news outlets confirming the details on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2.
