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CRONOS and early VENOM

G

Greevus

Apr 15, 2009
1,202
93
#1
Once again I say EARLY Venom, as in the first two records and the EPs around that time. I was a true metalhead in the early 80s, and I thought CRONOS was the coolest.
The absolutely black sludgy bass on "Black Metal" still rules. No one slides and booms your speakers like him. "Buried Alive" was so creepy and the bass is so evil. "Countess Bathory", "Leave Me in Hell", "To Hell and Back", etc, are great examples of pure satanic majesty on the four strings. The bass solo in "1000 Days in Sodom" on the "Welcome to Hell" album is still one of my faves today. I love the raging Motorhead style riffing on this album and the constant "wooh wooh wooooom" of Cronos's signature bass lick just kills. I saw him with a Jazz bass recently and thought "oh no, no god!"... Cronos is just so not a Jazz player. I also remember a live video where his bass cuts out in the opening song with all the pyros n stuff, and he just destroys the bass instead of fixing it. Right up there with Hendrix for me. Too bad Venom became as goofy as Manowar.
I liked them better when I was terrified and scared of going to Hell...
 
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#4
I feel for all the uptight 'proper' and jazzy players who've never done a huge satanic slide on their E or B string and then banged an open chord. With distortion. In the name of Satan nonetheless. Coolness can't be measured in complexity. It just gives you a headache anyways.
 
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#5
I would not say his bass lines were so simple, especially if you consider he was singing at the same time. They were very efficient and supporting the tunes, in that particular style.
I had the chance to spend some time with Venom in Paris in the early 80's, and see them during rehersal, he was clearly the best in the band.

I have stopped hearing Metal since years now, so I don't know what happened to Venom, but I suppose they have split.

Where did you see him recently?
 
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#10
Mr-Wunderful said:
I love Venom. I used to have a live DVD of a concert from around 85. Cronos bass solo is hilarious, basically him hitting open chords and sliding his fingers up the neck while running through a bunch of effects then flashing the devil sign. The crowd loves it.
Click to expand...

Can't say I'm a fan of Cronos or Venom, but I have that video and I show it to people at parties when I want to make people laugh.:hiding:
 
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#11
Love him or hate him, Cronos has been releasing records since '81. Venom were the biggest selling indie band for years before mp3s took over. I think the fact that you guys have the DVDs and keep playing them means you are closeted and in love with Cronos. It's okay, I won't tell the "real" bassists.
 
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#12
Greevus said:
Love him or hate him, Cronos has been releasing records since '81. Venom were the biggest selling indie band for years before mp3s took over. I think the fact that you guys have the DVDs and keep playing them means you are closeted and in love with Cronos. It's okay, I won't tell the "real" bassists.
Click to expand...

Well. I bought it at a pawn shop on VHS for 25 cents, so I don't know about that.
 
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#18
I love chronos. He was one of those guys that embodied what a heavy metal performance should be all about. Definitely dig it.



I'm alive but dead, awake but asleep
As friend gather round and mourners they weep
My mind thinks of all the things I have done
My body is cold but my heart beat goes on and on and on and on

They lower me down into that hole in the ground
I scream out for help but they hear not a sound
I tear at the lid, my fingers they bleed
Is this happening to me or is it just a dream

Summon the dead
Baphomets call
Blood on my hands

Let me out of here

My bones are decayed, my flesh it doth rot
I'm lying in silk, take the lid off this box
My lungs gasp for air, my eyes scream for sight
I promise the rise of my body this night

Summon the dead
Baphomets call
Blood on my hands

Screaming in torment
I'm felling you all
Take heed of my plea
Answer my call
I'm gonna be free
Click to expand...
 
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#19
Venom...fn killer man! I love the who "proper" bassist think. Guys go one about not wanting to offend and all this watered down crap...as a kid those kinda dudes were squares, lames and a joke to me, nothing has changed. I'll take a killer tone played with attitude and balls any day over all that other crap. I cannot dig just standing around like your at rehearsal or something.
 
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#20
I love this era of Venom (the only era I know, actually). I distinctly remember having Black Metal (or whatever the album is called with the pentagram and goats head) on vinyl...purchased new. Loved it. Very strange production quality, though, I remember. Definitely not a "full audio spectrum range" recording....

Remember, for a 3 piece, they had a very full sound - nothing missing at all - live or in the studio. That concert video you posted, which I'd seen already 1x, I think substantiates that assertion.

Plus, since we're talking metal, just the names of the people in the band and early band photos really do kick butt. Great stuff for that genre. I'll take it any day over most of what was called metal in the 90s and beyond.

LouLoomis
 
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