Venom is an English heavy metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed in 1979, the group originally featured vocalist Clive Archer, lead guitarist Jeffrey Dunn, rhythm guitarist Conrad Lant, bassist Alan Winston and drummer Anthony Bray, although Winston left early on and Lant switched to bass. Each band member soon adopted a stage name for use in Venom – "Christus" for Archer, "Mantas" for Dunn, "Cronos" for Lant and "Abaddon" for Bray. Archer was credited as "Jesus Christ" on the band's first demo tape Demon, released in 1980. Shortly after the demo's release, the decision was made to dismiss the vocalist and continue Venom as a three-piece, as Cronos had begun taking over the role. The band's lineup remained stable for the release of four studio albums between 1981 and 1985, before Mant