Ex-VENOM Drummer ANTONY ‘ABADDON’ BRAY Finalizing His Book, ‘The View From The Metal Throne’

Former VENOM drummer Antony “Abaddon” Bray is finalizing a book titled “The View From The Metal Throne – The Story Of Abaddon & Venom”, co-authored with Greek journalist Andreas Andreou from Metal Hammer Greece. Nearly complete, the book will feature a foreword by Brian Slagel, the founder and CEO of Metal Blade Records.

Bray states: “This is my perspective on those legendary early years, the achievements, and every high and low of the band. The struggles, the passion, the vision, the dedication, the music, the performances, the journey.”

As Bray and Andreou work on the layout, they welcome contributions from fans. If you have any high-quality unpublished photos you captured, send them to the address mentioned in the Facebook post below. This could include pictures from VENOM live shows featuring Abaddon, as well as backstage moments. Additionally, Bray and Andreou seek studio photos, images from Neat Records, press release photos, and memorabilia from the ’80s and ’90s involving Abaddon and VENOM. Names of all fans whose photos are selected will be included in the book’s acknowledgments. The deadline for submissions is June 2.

In a June 2023 interview with The Meista – Brews & Tunes, Bray discussed the possibility of reuniting VENOM‘s classic lineup, which also includes frontman Conrad “Cronos” Lant and guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn. He remarked: “I don’t see why not… I genuinely believe that if we were all together in a room, it would reignite. I truly believe that. The spirit would be there. The intention would be there. The heart and soul would be present, as that’s what we do. We’re not virtuosos. We’re not geniuses. What we excel at is being together and being a band, and I can’t see why that shouldn’t occur again… I can envision it happening. Many may disagree, but I can see it coming to fruition.”

Abaddon made these remarks six months after Cronos mentioned to Metal Hammer that the odds of reuniting VENOM‘s classic lineup were “less than zero.” He stated, “I owe them nothing, and they have nothing that I desire.” He continued, “Fans still express, ‘The VENOM legions wish for the old lineup to come back together.’ We attempted in the ’90s, and it wasn’t well received. I don’t want to perform on stage with those two aging gentlemen and deliver a substandard show. Album sales have improved for me, so why would I want to revert to that? I just want VENOM to be exceptional.”

When asked about the absence of a relationship among the three, Cronos replied: “Yes, it’s undoubtedly sad. However, we had a fantastic time, and I’ll treasure those memories.”

Earlier in 2022, Dunn expressed his desire for the classic VENOM lineup to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band’s iconic “Black Metal” album.

Released in 1982, “Black Metal” is recognized as a significant influence on thrash metal and extreme metal overall. The album was so influential that its title became synonymous with the extreme metal subgenre known as black metal. The classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant, and Bray went on to record two additional studio albums, “At War With Satan” (1984) and “Possessed” (1985), along with a live album, “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (1986). Frequently cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST, and MAYHEM, they are among the most respected bands of their era. VENOM continues to be led by Cronos, headlining festivals worldwide and consistently releasing new music, while Dunn and former VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan have joined forces in a similarly named group, VENOM INC.. Last year, Dunn departed from VENOM INC. and was replaced by former NEVERMORE and ANNIHILATOR guitarist Curran Murphy.

Dunn discussed a potential VENOM celebration in an interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live!, stating: “When considering the impact and influence this band has had, our place in musical history is assured. In conversations about heavy metal and influential bands, VENOM will always be mentioned. We may not be at the very top, but we’re acknowledged somewhere. To have made such a significant impact and to receive such respect from peers; ‘VENOM’ is a name everyone knows. Yet, all anniversaries of this band have gone by without any celebration.”

During a February 2022 Facebook Live chat, Dunn urged Lant and Bray to come together for a VENOM celebration, saying: “I will never retract anything I’ve said, because it’s true. Regardless of opinions, it’s the reality; it’s that simple. I won’t speak nonsense as one of us did. What I’ve stated is factual and has been documented — even in the book. It’s there. It’s truthful. But we’re at an age now… We’ve just endured a major pandemic with no activity. We have a war in Europe currently. [Our past conflicts] become trivial; it’s nonsense.

“As I said, I will never apologize; I’ll never turn around and say, ‘Yeah, I didn’t mean that,'” he continued. “What I said was entirely accurate. However, we missed the 25th anniversary. We didn’t celebrate the 30th anniversary. Considering a band with such an impact… And, again, my friends, I still struggle to grasp it myself; people saying…

“During the interviews for the 40th anniversary of ‘Welcome To Hell’ — another anniversary we missed; it just slipped by,” Dunn added. “However, I conducted these interviews, and people informed me, ‘You don’t realize how important your work was.’ I don’t, because we were so close to it. I’ve mentioned it countless times — I was just a kid crafting tunes in my bedroom while living with my mom, and I was fortunate; people appreciated them.

“But, can we not celebrate this for once? Honestly, I’ve already faced death once. Time is short, and we all have limited time, as I know how we’ve treated ourselves.”

Dunn, Bray, and Dolan released three albums as VENOM from 1989 to 1992 — “Prime Evil” (1989), “Temples Of Ice” (1991), and “The Waste Lands” (1992).

VENOM INC. should not be confused with the Cronos-led version of VENOM, which continues to tour and produce albums under the VENOM name. Cronos is joined in that group by Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.