Heavy metal fans are mourning the passing of Conrad “Cronos” Lant, who played bass and handled lead vocals for iconic British metal band Venom.
Lant, who’d been with the band since its formation in 1979, passed away September 29 at age 63.
The Band Paid Tribute
On October 1, Lant’s bandmates shared the sad news via the group’s official Instagram account, paying tribute to their fallen comrade.
“For more than four decades, Conrad’s voice, bass and vision were at the heart of VENOM,” the post’s caption read. “From the first dark rumblings of ‘Welcome to Hell,’ through ‘Black Metal,’ ‘At War With Satan,’ ‘Possessed’ and beyond, he created something that changed heavy music forever.”
The post continued, “VENOM never followed the rules. They forged their own path,” the tribute continued. “And Conrad was there at the centre of it all — uncompromising, fearless and unmistakable.”
Lant’s son, Nathan Lant, also shared his own personal tribute in a statement.
“I want to thank all of the Legions for all of the support you have given my dad over the years,” he added. “I know he really appreciated you all. He has laid down his soul, and his music will live on. The legend of Cronos will never die. His music will never die. His voice will never fade.”
A Metal Trailblazer
When Venom formed in the late 1970s, Lant was initially rhythm guitarist, part of an original lineup that included Jeffrey “Mantas” Dunn on lead guitar, Anthony “Abaddon” Bray on drums and Cliver Archer on vocals.
As Rolling Stone recalled, Venom first emerged on the music scene during what is now referred to as the New Wave of British heavy metal, which included such bands as Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Motörhead.
When Archer exited the band in 1980, Lant shifted to bass and took over as lead vocalist.
The following year, Venom released their debut album “Welcome to Hell.”
The band’s harder-than-hard sound and flagrant use of satanic imagery instantly captivated metal fans, but it was the band’s second album, “Black Metal,” and its title track, that really established Venom.
In retrospect, “Black Metal” is now seen as so influential that it inspired its own subgenre of metal, named for the album.
Venom broke up in 1988, but Lant subsequently revived the band and continued performing right up until his passing.
A Man of Contradictions
As an August 2026 profile of Lant in Classic Rock made clear, behind the rock frontman theatrics was a complex man with a “brilliantly bizarre double life.”
Beyond his role as outrageous metal frontman, he also taught aerobics, enjoyed a passion for birdwatching, grew his own peppers, and idolized British singer-songwriter Kate Bush — whose music is about as far from Venom’s as possible.
During that interview, the singer nicknamed Cronos summed up his philsophy of metal by comparing his approach to that of Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne.
“Ozzy was singing about the Devil,” Lant said. “I wanted to be the Devil.”
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Legendary Metal Frontman Has Passed Away at 63: ‘His Voice Will Never Fade’