More than four decades after they first crawled out of Newcastle’s underground and rewrote the rules of heavy music, Venom are back—and they’re not here to coast on legacy. Their latest release, Into Oblivion, sees the black metal architects charging forward with renewed venom (pun fully intended), delivering a record that fuses their hellish roots with a sharpened, modern edge.
Photo: Jonas Rogowski / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
A Legacy That Refuses to Die
Formed in 1979, Venom didn’t just influence extreme metal—they practically ignited it. Their 1982 album Black Metal didn’t just lend a name to a genre; it helped define an entire movement that still thrives today.
Now, in 2026, the trio—frontman Conrad “Cronos” Lant, guitarist Rage (Stuart Dixon), and drummer Dante (Danny Needham)—return with their sixteenth studio album, proving their creative fire hasn’t dimmed one bit.
Into Oblivion also marks their first new material since 2018’s Storm the Gates, ending an eight-year wait with something that feels anything but nostalgic.
Old School Evil Meets Modern Muscle
Across 13 tracks, Into Oblivion leans hard into what Venom do best: filthy riffs, snarling attitude, and a sense of danger that still feels real. But this isn’t just a throwback. The band have injected a contemporary production sheen and a more progressive structure into the mix—without sacrificing their signature chaos.
Songs like “Lay Down Your Soul” tap directly into their early-’80s DNA, echoing the raw spirit that once terrified the mainstream while still sounding fresh enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with modern extreme metal.
Guitarist Rage has hinted that the band aimed to craft “standout tracks” across the board—and it shows. The album doesn’t just rely on nostalgia; it builds on it, pushing Venom’s sound into a new era while keeping that unmistakable “fire and brimstone” intact.
Still Dangerous After All These Years
What’s most striking about Into Oblivion is how alive it feels. This isn’t a legacy act going through the motions—it’s a band still hungry, still loud, and still willing to evolve.
With their longest-running lineup now firmly locked in, Venom sound tighter and more focused than ever, yet no less chaotic. The balance between precision and rawness is what gives this record its punch—and why it stands as one of their most compelling modern releases.
Photo: Jonas Rogowski / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Into the Abyss… and Beyond
If Into Oblivion proves anything, it’s that Venom aren’t content being pioneers—they’re still participants. In a genre they helped create, they continue to shape its future, reminding everyone why their name still carries so much weight.
For longtime fans, it’s a triumphant return. For newcomers, it’s a brutal invitation into one of metal’s darkest and most influential legacies. Either way, Venom aren’t fading into oblivion—they’re dragging the rest of us down with them.