Conrad 'Cronos' Lant, Venom Frontman Who Redefined Heavy Metal, Dies at 63

Conrad "Cronos" Lant, the singer and bassist who fronted the British heavy metal band Venom, has died aged 63. No cause of death was given.

Lant's death was confirmed in a statement from the band, which paid tribute to his central role in the group's history and its lasting impact on heavy music.

"For more than four decades, Conrad's voice, bass and vision were at the heart of Venom," the statement reads. "He created something that changed heavy music for ever. Venom never followed the rules. They forged their own path. And Conrad was there at the centre of it all – uncompromising, fearless and unmistakable."

Lant helped turn Venom, formed in Newcastle, into a hugely influential force in metal. The band's impact extended across the thrash and black metal subgenres, where its sound and attitude left a permanent mark.

As frontman, Lant supplied the voice, bass playing and creative vision that defined Venom's identity for over forty years. The band built its reputation on refusing to conform, an approach the group's own statement credits directly to Lant's uncompromising presence at its centre.

Venom's influence on subsequent generations of metal musicians remains one of the most consequential legacies in the genre's history, with the band widely recognised as a foundational reference point for thrash and black metal alike.

Lant is survived by his legacy in a band whose recordings continue to shape how heavy music is written, played and understood.