Conrad "Cronos" Lant, bassist and singer of heavy metal band Venom, dies at 63

Conrad Lant, known as Cronos, died at 63. The band announced the death on Thursday without providing further details. Lant played bass and sang for the English heavy metal group Venom, helping make it one of the most influential acts in the black metal subgenre and beyond. Venom formed in 1979 in Newcastle, roughly at the same time as bands of the new wave of British heavy metal such as Def Leppard, Iron Maiden and Motörhead. They immediately distinguished themselves with harder, tighter sounds and theatrical concerts featuring leather outfits covered in chains and studs, plus references to devil and hell imagery. Lant initially played guitar but switched almost immediately to bass, and when singer Clive Archer left the band in 1980, he replaced him on vocals. Venom earned praise from their first record, Welcome to Hell, but are remembered above all for Black Metal, released in 1982, which gave its name to the black metal subgenre itself. Although they had far less commercial success than Iron Maiden or Black Sabbath, they were cited among the main influences of thrash metal bands, including Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. Lant began a solo project in 1988, founding a band called Cronos, and over time collaborated with Cradle of Filth and with Probot, the metal project of Dave Grohl, frontman of Foo Fighters and formerly drummer of Nirvana. Over the years Lant reformed the band with different lineups, continuing to perform until last summer.