October 1, 2026 The metal world is mourning the loss of Conrad “Cronos” Lant, the legendary vocalist and bassist of Venom, who has reportedly died at the age of 63. Cronos was one of the founding members and the driving force behind Venom, a band whose raw, aggressive sound and uncompromising attitude helped shape the early extreme-metal movement. Venom’s landmark 1982 album, Black Metal, became particularly influential, with its title ultimately giving one of metal’s most extreme and influential genres its name. Beyond black metal, Venom’s impact could be heard throughout thrash metal, death metal, speed metal and countless generations of extreme-metal bands that followed. At the time of this report, the cause of Cronos’ death has not been publicly disclosed. His voice, bass playing and unmistakable presence helped define an era—and his influence will continue to echo through the underground and beyond. Rest in peace, Cronos. Your music was loud. Your attitude was uncompro...