Cronos, the voice, the bass player and the founding member of the legendary Venom a band which is responsible for the birth of extreme musical genres like Thrash and Black Metal, took some time to answer to some MER questions about the release of the box.
Metal Express Radio:
Happy New Year Cronos! I have to confess that for me it’s a great honor having this conversation.
Cronos:
Hell yeah!
MER:
First of all have you recovered completely from the unfortunate climbing accident? Are you back into weightlifting?
Cronos:
Hell yeah, the doctors gave me the ok a while back now and I’ve since been back in the gym and working out again, thank fuck for that.
MER:
There are a lot of Venom compilations. Why did you make the decision to make another one?
Cronos:
The decision was made because the band hadn’t made one, these were always put together by labels, so I wanted to make a compilation of the tracks I’d like in a box set, so it was constructed more like a new Venom album, made by the band with the band making all the decisions, we feel we understand more of what people want from our music rather than some suit in an office.
MER:
What was your contribution in the making of MMV?
Cronos:
I did it all, I first selected the tracks and ran these by everyone so we were all agreeing to the tracks, then I worked in the studio for days compiling the recordings and setting the lengths and mastering the discs, I also compiled all of the images and photos etc for the booklet, I scanned in lots of my old posters and finalized the artwork for the free poster, I then got together with a guy called Hugh Gilmour who set it all out for the printers, then I got Mal Dome to write a history of the band from his perspective, then right down to how the boxset was going to be packaged and released, all of it.
MER:
Are all the recordings the original versions?
Cronos:
All from original sources yes, even for the likes of ‘Senile Decay’ which had never been on CD, I had to dig out the quarter inch two track master from my tape store and dust off the cobwebs, then the tapes had to be baked in an oven for a few days before we could record it from the tape machine to a digital format.
MER:
Apart from the musical content the 60 pages booklet includes some hard to find material. Are all of these coming from your personal archives?
Cronos:
Indeed, I spent many weeks on my scanner capturing the images, I went through everything from old tour passes to cue sheets for the pyros, set lists to old adverts, it was very interesting to go through all that stuff again, it brought back some amazing memories.
MER:
For how long were you involved in the making of the compilation?
Cronos:
Approximately 2 years.
MER:
You have finished the mixing of the new album. Can you describe the music in it?
Cronos:
The new album is all done now, the promo CDs for the album are now being sent to the press ready for their album reviews, and so far so good, the album as the title suggests is a mix of the old and the new, a very Venomous feel with a heavier modern production.
MER:
Why did you choose Metal Black as the title? Is this a kind of message that you’re returning to the Black Metal sound?
Cronos:
This was at first just composed as a song, then we realized a lot of the album had that old style feel and the songs felt like they could have been on older albums, certainly rehearsing the old with the new brings it all into perspective, as everyone will hear live.
MER:
When will “Metal Black” be released?
Cronos:
20 March 2006
MER:
How about the artwork, how will the album cover look?
Cronos:
The magazines are now running adverts so it’s out there for people to see already, plus we’ve put the cover on the Venom website venomslegions.com and our forum, again it’s very Venom, the imagery we’ve always felt comfortable with, the type of cover that shouts Venom, it works for us.
MER:
You’ve managed to release two very good albums Cast in Stone and Resurrection with the classic lineup. Why didn’t things work out with Abaddon and Mantas?
Cronos:
You’d have to ask them that question.
MER:
What’s the current lineup? How did you all come together?
Cronos:
The new lineup started to form around 2002 when we heard that the old guitarist was thinking of making a new solo album and not returning to Venom, so Antton any I started to look around. I’ve been good friend with Mike Hickey for many years and have kept in contact regardless that we hadn’t work together since 1994, and it slowly dawned on us that he could be the man for the job, so he flew into the UK and we took it from there, and he is fitting in with the band perfectly.
MER:
After 25 years in the music business have you realized that Venom is one of the most influential bands when it comes to Thrash Metal and of course Black Metal?
Cronos:
No other band was doing what we were doing in 1979, the Heavy Rock bands had a good image but I didn’t think they were heavy enough, I thought Punk Rock had more edge and aggression, so I wanted to merge the two to develop a Rock band with an attitude, this is when Black Metal was born, and from it emerged, Thrash, Death, Speed and Power Metal.
MER:
Do you have any regrets when it comes to Venom? Is there something that you wish that you hadn’t done?
Cronos:
No regrets.
MER:
In the booklet there is a rejection letter from a well known record company that you got back in 1980. I wonder whether they have regretted that rushed decision.
Cronos:
A few years ago that same company bought the rights to the Calm Before The Storm album, so maybe they see things differently now.
MER:
Do you have any favorite Venom songs and why?
Cronos:
My favourite songs are the new ones I’m currently writing, the songs for the next album after Metal Black, once an album has been recorded then we choose which songs will work live the best, and which will fit in with the older classic tunes, I’d say apart from my new tracks then its the songs in the live set list which are my favorites.
MER:
Do you have any tour plans? Can we expect the classic Venom stage show?
Cronos:
We are planning our live appearances for 2006, in the territories that we can play larger venues and festivals then we will bring our full stage show, but there are some territories that Venom have never been to before, like Sweden, Spain, Norway and even Ireland and Scotland, but some of these places don’t have large venues, but the fans who go to these shows will know that bands don’t use pyro there, but the fact that the fans get to see the band live is the most important thing to them.
MER:
This is a question I’ve always wanted to do; what are Venom’s and Cronos’s musical influences? (if there can be any)
Cronos:
When I was young I listened to likes of Black Sabbath, Zappa, David Bowie, Queen, Rush, Deep Purple and the likes of Judas Priest etc, my influences come from many areas.
MER:
Can you remember the worst and the best moment of your career?
Cronos:
Too many to write down!
MER:
There has been a lot Venom tributes. Can you name the worst and the best cover on a Venom song?
Cronos:
I find it hard to say what is my worst cover of one of my songs considering these bands paid for and bust a gut in the studio to record one of my songs, I’d shake the hand of every band member who has covered one of my songs, its a good feeling to know really like your music and can take influence from our style.
MER:
Thanks for the interview I hope to see you live performing the new songs. If I may make a question of personal interest; are you going visit Greece for a live show?
Cronos:
We really hope we can get back to Greece in 2006, we really thought the fans were great on our last visit – stay wild Greece, hell yeah!!!!!!!!!
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