Conrad 'Cronos' Lant, frontman of heavy metal band Venom, dies aged 63

Conrad Lant, the British heavy metal musician known as Cronos who fronted the band Venom, has died at the age of 63. No cause of death has been given.

Lant served as the singer and bassist for Venom, the Newcastle band he helped turn into one of the most influential forces in the development of thrash and black metal. Over more than four decades, his voice, bass playing and creative vision were central to the band's identity and sound.

'He created something that changed heavy music forever'

In a statement, Venom said that for more than four decades, Lant's voice, bass and vision were at the heart of the band. The statement described him as having created something that changed heavy music forever, crediting him with helping the band forge its own path rather than following existing conventions within the genre.

The statement characterized Lant as uncompromising, fearless and unmistakable, language that reflects the reputation Venom built as a band willing to push against the boundaries of the metal genre during its decades of activity.

Venom's influence on the broader metal scene has been widely credited with shaping the direction of both thrash and black metal subgenres, with later generations of musicians citing the Newcastle band as a formative influence on their own work.

Further details about funeral arrangements or tributes from the wider music community had not been released at the time of the band's statement.