Conrad Lant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cronos
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Cronos performing with Venom in 2013
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Conrad Thomas Lant |
| Born | 15 January 1963 Kensington, London, England |
| Origin | Newcastle, England |
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| Years active | 1979–present |
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Conrad Thomas Lant (born 15 January 1963), known by his stage name Cronos, is an English musician. He is the person who started the heavy metal band Venom. He is also the band's singer and bass player.
Contents
Biography
Early life and the start of Venom
Conrad Lant played in a few bands when he was in high school. In 1979, he took the stage name Cronos. He joined a band called Guillotine as a guitarist. There, he met Jeffrey Dunn, who later became known as Mantas.
One week before a concert, the band's bass player left. Cronos decided to play the bass instead. They also changed the band's name to 'Venom'. He kept playing the bass for Venom throughout his career. In 1980, the band's singer, Clive Archer, left. Cronos then became the singer too, making Venom a three-person band.
After school, Cronos worked at a recording studio called Impulse Studios. He convinced the studio to start a new record label just for rock bands. This label was called 'Neat Records'. It began signing bands and releasing their music.
The members of Venom could not pay for studio time. So, Cronos talked the studio engineer into letting them record for free. In return, Cronos would stay late and do extra work without pay. Cronos sent Venom's demo songs to many record labels and music magazines. A journalist from 'Sounds' magazine liked three Venom songs. This caught the attention of 'Neat Records', and they agreed to release Venom's first song.
Cronos also designed the Venom logo and the artwork for their albums. He wanted to create a new version of the Sigil of Baphomet for the band's main symbol. He drew the Venom logo many times until he was happy with it. You can see how the logo changed and improved on their different singles and albums over the years. Cronos still designs new versions of the logo for merchandise and new albums.
Solo career and Venom's journey
Venom took a break in 1988. Cronos then started his own music career. He also played with other bands like Cronos, Enthroned, Cradle of Filth, Warpath, Massacre, and Necrodeath. He even helped produce albums for other bands.
In 1995, Cronos got the original guitarist and drummer from Venom back together. They performed at the Dynamo Festival in 1996. Venom tried to continue with the original members, but they only played one show each year for a few years. They signed a deal to make three albums. However, after their album Cast in Stone, some members did not want to continue.
Venom used a temporary drummer for their next album, Resurrection. Critics liked this album. But the band still only played two shows, at Wacken and in Holland.
Venom took another short break after Cronos was hurt in a climbing accident. But in 2004, Cronos brought in 'Mykas', a guitarist from his solo band. They worked to rebuild Venom's reputation. They released the album Metal Black in 2006. They also had a sold-out tour in the UK and played four big shows at European festivals.
In 2007, Cronos changed the guitarist to 'Rage'. They released the album Hell in 2008 and again played to sold-out crowds. By 2009, 'Dante' joined the band. They started with a tour in South America. Venom continues to play at many festivals every year. As of 2019, the lineup of Cronos, Rage, and Dante has been together for 10 years. They have released three albums: Fallen Angels (2011), From the Very Depths (2015), and Storm the Gates (2018).
Later activities and new skills
In 2000, Venom was the main band at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. They also played a special show in the Netherlands. Then, they had to take a break because Cronos was hurt in a climbing accident in 2002. This injury meant he could not play bass or sing for almost two years.
To pass the time, he started using computers. He studied computer science and how to make games. He learned 3D software skills. He worked as a main multimedia engineer for companies called K-Class Systems and Globalfibre.tv. There, with the owner Scott Toward, he helped create the first computer models for streaming videos on the internet and mobile phones. He also programmed and built gaming maps and helped develop internet access using satellites.
Cronos reformed Venom again around 2003. He temporarily hired a couple of new musicians just to get the band started again. He was looking for professional, permanent members. Cronos asked guitarist Mantas to rejoin the band, but Mantas said no. He explained that he was working on new music with his band 'Zero Tolerance'.
After a couple of years of planning and practice, Venom released their album, Metal Black, in early 2006. They then went on a sold-out world tour. Venom played their classic song "Die Hard" with Phil Anselmo (from Pantera and Down) at the Gods of Metal festival in Italy in 2006. Cronos also appeared on Dave Grohl's heavy metal project Probot in 2004. He was a guest singer on the song "Knights of the 21st Century" on HammerFall's 2005 album Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken.
Discography
With Venom
- Welcome to Hell (1981)
- Black Metal (1982)
- At War with Satan (1984)
- Possessed (1985)
- Eine kleine Nachtmusik (1986)
- Calm Before the Storm (1987)
- Cast in Stone (1997)
- Resurrection (2000)
- Metal Black (2006)
- Hell (2008)
- Fallen Angels (2011)
- From the Very Depths (2015)
- Storm the Gates (2018)
With Cronos
- Dancing in the Fire (1990)
- Rock n' Roll Disease (1991)
- Venom (Cronos compilation album) (1995)
- Hell to the Unknown (2006, anthology release)
Other appearances
- Pure Filth by Warfare (1984) – vocals and bass on "Rose Petals Fall from Her Face"
- Inhuman Condition by Massacre (1992) – vocals on "Warhead"
- Dusk... and Her Embrace by Cradle of Filth (1996) – spoken word on "Haunted Shores"
- Probot by Probot (2004) – vocals and bass on "Centuries of Sin"
- Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken by HammerFall (2005) – vocals on "Knights of the 21st Century"
Production work
- Beware of the Dog by Tysondog (1984)
- Se parare nex by The Blood (1985)
See also
In Spanish: Conrad Lant para niños
