Interview: VENOM INC

1. You started out in a band called Guillotine in 1978. Was it like Venom in the sense of it being “black metal” with themes of Satanism? Why did you change the name from Guillotine to Venom with the arrival of Conrad “Cronos” Lant?
ABADDON: Ok… to set things straight… Jeff had a band and I had a band… neither were black metal or satanic in any way… I joined Jeffs band and set about getting my singer Clive Archer into the band… My guitarist Eric Cook later became Jeffs tech and subsequently Venom manager… It’s at this point we became Venom… Long BEFORE Cronos joined… I then got rid of the rest of the band and Jeff met Lant and brought him in as guitarist… He moved to bass when I eventually sacked the bass player as well.

MANTAS: I have heard this so many times and it is simply not true… the band was NEVER called Guillotine, it was a name that I had floating around as an idea but there was never a logo designed nor was it adopted as the band name. The band was actually called Venom before Cronos joined and the line up was myself on guitar, Dave Rutherford on rhythm guitar (Dave was the guy that I first started a band with), Clive Archer on vocals, Abaddon on drums and a bass player whose name I honestly cant remember. Prior to this myself and Dave had another bass player called Dean Hewitt and a drummer whose audition had been him playing along to the Genesis live album ‘Seconds Out’, and a short lived vocalist, both whose names escape me. When the drummer and vocalist left. Abaddon came down to audition after meeting him in a local music store after he responded to an advert I had placed there. He was the same as me, a noise merchant, much to the displeasure of Dean, who was a really good bass player, who consequently left the band. Abaddon introduced me to a friend of his, Clive Archer, who was a huge Judas Priest fan like me and first time I met him I vividly remember ‘The Ripper’ being embroidered down the side of his jeans. After a meeting in the Percy Arms bar in Newcastle and the meeting him and Abaddon again at a Priest gig at the City Hall he came in as vocalist. It was during this period that a friend who used to hang around at rehearsals suggested Venom as a band name… it just stuck and that was it.

2. When Venom was formed, Cronos came in on guitar. Why did he switch to bass duties later?
MANTAS: I met him at my girlfriends best friends house. A bunch of us used to go around and just hang out and listen to music when her parents were out and this particular night I was introduced to her new boyfriend and it was him. We spoke for a while, I mentioned I had a band and he said he played guitar. Dave had just left the band so I was on the look out for another rhythm guitarist he also mentioned he was doing a government Youth Opportunity Scheme at Impulse Studios (Neat Records), basically making teas and coffees and picking up whatever knowledge he could along the way. I invited him along to a Venom rehearsal on a Saturday afternoon at Westgate Road Church Hall to see the band… he joined as rhythm guitarist. He switched to bass when the bass player left and he offered to give it a try.

ABADDON: We felt that Cronos’ bass sound was full enough to not need a second rhythm guitarist.

3. In 1980, Clive Archer left Venom and it was just the three of you (Cronos, Abaddon, Mantas). You kept this lineup for six years. Cronos took over vocals while still playing bass. Why did you not just find another vocalist?
MANTAS: We had been in Impulse Studios to do our first demo and prior to that I had written a new song… ‘Live Like An Angel, Die Like A Devil’ and I asked Cronos if he would try singing it. The idea was that Clive would go off stage for a costume change and Cronos would sing this song then Clive would come back on for ‘Schitzo’. For some reason Clive was feeling unsettled in the band and chose to leave and it was at this time Cronos had sung on ‘Live Like An Angel’ so we decided to stick with it that way… no other reason, their vocal styles in those early days of the band were not that different to be perfectly honest. A lot of the early songs were written before Cronos joined the band and I still have a cassette recording of a rehearsal in the church hall from 1979 with Clive Archer singing ‘Angel Dust’, ‘Red Light Fever’, ‘Buried Alive’ and ‘Raise The Dead’… the last two songs mentioned there obviously didn’t appear until
‘Black Metal’.

4. For six years it was Mantas, Cronos, and Abaddon. The three of you had recorded five albums together, one of them a Live album. In 1987, why, after five albums and much success with that lineup, did Mantas decide to leave?
MANTAS: I actually left in 1986 and it was after a disgusting and totally unnecessary incident which occurred at the Loreley Festival in 1985. There had been other things in the years prior to this but this was the straw that broke the camels back as we say. It was NOT musical differences and it was NOT financial.

5. Two other guitarists were brought in after Mantas’ departure. Mike “Mykus” Hickey and Jim Clare. This lineup (Cronos and Abaddon, Mykus, Jim Clare) recorded an album Calm Before The Storm. Why did that album move away from the familiar themes of Satanism that Venom was known for to sorcery and magic type themes?
ABADDON: I was responsible for hiring Mike and Jim to try to get a more modern sound… however this backfired when other bands were getting heavier. Cronos turned us into van Halen or something.

MANTAS: My answer would be to satisfy his Dave Lee Roth fantasy trip.

6. Why did Cronos leave Venom in 1987?
MANTAS: Ask Abaddon.

ABADDON: I told Cronos I didn’t want to continue in this vein any more and that it wasn’t Venom and he should continue as the Cronos band… which they did. I contacted Tony Dolan… The Demolition Man… who I had tour managed and supported since his days with Atomkraft… I said I had a deal with Music for Nations and I was going to ask Jeff to give it another go. We recorded Prime Evil, my favorite Venom album and this line up had a successful ten year career.

7. Demolition Man, you came into Venom in 1989 after Cronos left taking over vocals and bass duties. You recorded three albums and an ep with Venom up until 1992. Who approached you about joining Venom? Explain how it all came about. Why did you not go back after leaving in 1992?
It was actually 88′ but Prime Evil was 89′. Basically, I had just come off of a very successful tour with ATOMKRAFT, but the singer we had decided to leave as well as the lead guitarist, so although the drummer wanted us to keep going, I personally didn’t feel I wanted to go back to start all over again so I was thinking about what to do next when Eric Cook (Venom manager) and Abaddon invited me to a pub for a drink. They explained Cronos had left, and there was a deal on the table from Music For Nations for some albums, and did I want the job? I said ok why not and began to write for Prime Evil (NB: That riff actually coming from Sammy Hagar’s This Planets on Fire, lol… but slowed down by Abaddon… which I thought would not work but did, very well) At the point they asked me there was no Mantas… he was asked and said no. Then we spoke about how it could work and he agreed. For me, I did not think a Venom without two members could exist really… I think because there needs to be that fusion.
Once we had completed the contract, also doing LIVE 90′ video and an album supposed to be for Russia called ‘Kissing The Beast’ but disappeared without a trace until some years later turning up in Europe on something called Benilux… don’t ask… no idea, we had a choice, renegotiate something, a new label, what? However, I had moved to London and a new job, and we seemed to have lost the initial vigor that got us going. There was no meeting or discussion. It just kind of rolled to a natural stop, and that was that.

8. Why did Venom disband between 1993 and 1995?
MANTAS: For me personally I just felt it had run its course and I must be honest and say that my heart was not in it… not in the way it was being handled.

9. Mantas, you reunited with Cronos between 1995-1999, recording an ep and an album Cast In Stone. What prompted this reunion?
Andre Verhysan, the owner and promoter of the Dynamo Festival, offered us the headline spot but it actually took 2 or 3 years for us to agree to do it… I was the first to say no, I simply wasn’t interested… AND NO, before anyone mentions money… as someone always does… it had NOTHING to do with finance!!

10. The final time any of you three were in Venom was in 2002, when Mantas was still a part of the band known as Venom. In 2005, Cronos stayed on in Venom up until the present day sans any of you. Why, as I’m sure everyone wants to know, is Cronos continuing on in the band known as Venom, while two of the founding members, and one of the original members move on as Venom Inc.? Who’s idea was it to start Venom Inc.?
DEMOLITION MAN: Cronos has been doing shows and recording for the last 10 yrs as Venom… why does he need to stop? Venom Inc. the name was our old European agents idea and using the original logo included in the name, which is not owned by Cronos. Oliver Weinsheimer, my friend and Producer of the Keep It True Festival, invited MPIRE of EVIL to play last year and asked if I could fix it to have us play with Abaddon for fans doing a bunch of Venom classic songs… We did play and the fans reaction as well as promoters across the planet told us to continue be wanting to book us and see us. So following KIT we kind of had a choice… do we just go and do it or not… We decided… yes, why not.

11. Is there a dispute going on with the Venom name?
DEMOLITION MAN: No

12. Demolition Man, I’m a bit confused. In a 1/30/2016 Facebook post you quoted “Now I’m reflecting, and it’s time to consider if I personally will continue with this. I don’t want comments, as I am not looking for praise or otherwise, I’m just stating a fact… I need to consider MY position… forever grateful to the mighty Legions but ALL true fans!!! “Is this you telling everyone that you are considering NOT continuing with Venom Inc.? And if so, for what reason?
I have two operations I must have. I have to consider when and how to fit these in. I cannot do what we just did all year again without missing these operations. I was committed to Venom.Inc and still am to the fans.

13. You guys just got off an extensive North American tour where you were playing shows just about every day of the month. How do you guys travel on these every-day-show tours? It must be hard staying in motels every night, moving on the next day to play yet another show… does it ever get tiring at some point?
DEMOLITION MAN: No motels.. all done by a sleeper van/bus… so show and move show and move basically… Yes can be tiring… I was supposed to be sharing the driving but in the end could not as I have major hip and back pain so Abaddon helped with some drives, which was great… but difficult also to be playing then driving too…
It does get tiring for all of course but it is the name of the game and when you are on stage none of that matter anyway it is purely about the fans and the music and THAT keeps you going.

14. In April 2015, Venom Inc. debuted at the Keep It True Festival in Germany, then it was off to China, Japan, Taiwan, a full European tour, a South American tour, and a North American tour. Besides the fact you love your fans and you love getting out there and playing, were these tours and festivals a way to see what kind of response you would get as Venom without Cronos, to see if people would respond to you guys as Venom Inc?
DEMOLITION MAN: No none were planned… after KIT we just got offers across the globe to go and play so we did… We never sat down to consider a ‘game plan’ it is what it is and people want it… so we are doing it… simple as that. Cronos or what he and his band do don’t come into it, why should they… we play live songs that were written by Venom and that was the people that are in Venom.Inc too… more must be better…?

15. You were very busy in 2015! Do you have any plans to come up with an album of new music under Venom Inc.? Music that is NOT Venom songs? I think A LOT of people would like to see that.
DEMOLITION MAN: That is the intention, we have to see but I have been writing and I know Mantas has too so there is something coming and NOT Venom songs redone… lol

16. Have the fans been receptive to Venom Inc.? Have you had any negative feedback?
DEMOLITION MAN: YES more than we even thought about. There will always be those who prefer the original line up of Venom because that is where they came in and it has meaning for them… same as those who prefer the Venom line up now over others… some liked when Anton was there best and many love when it was us 3… more is always better lol… so as long as the beast is alive I think, who cares… we need it to be alive and good music is good music full stop. Choice is a great thing and people prefer what they prefer… could be coffee could be tea or they could hate both… but that’s the beauty of life… choice… you don’t have to… you can want to… simple…
Venom.Inc has had amazing fans and support from Asia through Europe, South America, North America everywhere we have played it has been breathtaking and the places we have not yet… want us bad to go… so can’t say anything but good. It s very humbling and I am totally honored to be received so warmly… best thing is… EVERYONE gets it, what we do, they get it!

17. There are other bands you guys have been in (or still are in?) besides Venom and Venom Inc. Mantas had a band Mantas and Mantas 666 (which included Demolition Man), Abaddon had Abaddon (which sounds very industrial), Demolition Man had Atomkraft, and Mantas and Demolition Man have MPire of Evil. Do any of you plan on continuing on with these other bands? Mantas: Why was the name Mantas changed to Mantas 666?
MANTAS: The name wasnt actually changed, people just started calling it that… I suppose because of the logo design. Venom Inc is obviously very busy at the moment but I plan to continue with everything else that I am involved with when the time allows.

DEMOLITION MAN: Oh yes… ATOMKRAFT I am forever writing material for and get offered shows here and there which I agree to if I can fit them in. M:PIRE of EVIL has an album almost completed just needs my voice and bass but I wrote a bunch and Mantas did and we like the way it sounds better then anything we did before for the band… and we still have shows offered for the band so once the album is done we must play it… I do guest spots a lot these days too… mainly recordings but I like the diversity. I just live for playing.

18. Tell us why you adopted the names Demolition Man, Mantas, and Abaddon. What do they mean?
DEMOLITION MAN: Mine came from my original ATOMKRAFT guitarist… we played a show somehere around 1980 and I pulled all my amps over during a bass solo (everyone had a solo spot back then lol) sparks and fire and mayhem followed and while trying to correct everything as to continue the show… the guitarist went to the microphone and said… ”Ladies and Gentlemen, The Demolition Man”!! lol It stuck from then… I break things…:-)

MANTAS: Haha… for me to know and you to find out… lets see how many mythical stories this one generates.

19. Demolition Man, you have been in four movies among them Judge Dredd and Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Are you going to continue on in movies as they get offered to you?
Well, I did a few things yes… TV, Movies (including those 2 your mentioned) some theatre also… and yes I do things every now and then if they come up but am not focused on that and you need to be really. I have lots of famous friends because of all that and I feel privileged because of that too… I’ve done soundtracks for IOS games, directed some things even did a Rock Opera in Portugal (and all in Portuguese where I had 6 weeks to learn the language from scratch… lol). I would do something if it interested me yes. I like acting on screen and stage but it isn’t the same as performing music… with music you have to be real and yourself, of course the other you are not you so it is a challenge to create someone else.

20. Have any of you had other musical influences, other bands you like?
MANTAS: Well its no secret that seeing Judas Priest in 1979 changed my life and firmly set me on my chosen life path but I have so many influences… Kiss, Frank Marino, Gary Moore the list goes on and on. I’m old school, I grew up through the 70’s glam era and my first favourite band as a kid was Slade… I was also into T Rex, The Sweet, basically anything guitar driven. Then Alice Cooper invaded the UK with a number one single ‘Schools Out’. The first single I ever bought with my own money was ‘Seven Seas Of Rye’ by Queen. The first vinyl album that my parents bought me was ‘Ride A White Swan’ by T Rex and the first album I bought with my pocket money as a kid was ‘Hotter Than Hell’ By Kiss. I go into all this stuff in more detail in my book which I am in the process of writing.

DEMOLITION MAN: My personal influences are well documented… LEMMY and MOTORHEAD are the reason I wanted to play and more the way I wanted to play…
Beyond that… The Dickies inspired me towards fast… Punk gave me my momentum and Geddy Lee… Billy Sheenan and a host of Jazz players made me see the approach to bass a complete different way. I was (like Lemmy) a rhythm guitarist at first then switched…

21. Do you have any hobbies? Other stuff you guys do when youre not playing music?
DEMOLITION MAN: I like to train… mainly boxing now as I have some hip issues and back and that stopped me doing the grappling I was enjoying at my local MMA club. I am usually busy doing promotion or writing music or consulting on projects 24/7 so training and swimming are the only other things I can fit in the holes… lol… I like to read historical stuff and watch documentaries the same…

MANTAS: Anything creative, I love creating artwork. I find it quite difficult to relax and always feel that I should be using my time productively hence I do spend a lot of time in my home studio writing music. Also I still train, I keep my hand in with the Martial Arts although I don’t train anywhere near as hard as I use to. I trained constantly for 42 years and had my own Martial Arts gym and was a professional instructor for 19 years.