Venom released the 1982 album Black Metal, whose title helped name the extreme-metal genre.
The English band recorded the album with vocalist and bassist Conrad “Cronos” Lant, guitarist Jeffrey “Mantas” Dunn, and drummer Anthony “Abaddon” Bray. Its raw production, occult imagery, fast passages, and abrasive vocals pushed beyond the conventions of earlier heavy metal.
Black Metal was Venom’s second studio album, following Welcome to Hell in 1981. Although later black-metal scenes developed their own musical and visual styles, especially in Scandinavia, Venom’s record supplied an influential name and an important early blueprint.
A common mix-up is confusing the album with black metal as a fully formed genre. The genre’s later identity was shaped by bands including Bathory, Mayhem, Darkthrone, and Emperor, but Venom’s album is the landmark associated with the label’s origin.