There's an argument to be made that Metallica wouldn't exist without Venom — at least not in the same form. The English black-metal pioneers fronted by the enigmatic Conrad "Cronos" Lant have been repeatedly tapped as a key influence on the Bay Area thrash scene Metallica and their peers emerged from, and Venom's leader is proud to have played a part in its development.
In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Cronos gave his props to Metallica and Slayer, who opened for Venom on tour in the early Eighties, but also got real about his opinions on Metallica. Not only did he reveal that he never expected them to get as big as they did, but he also thinks they've released some "shit albums" throughout their 40-year history.
"I hoped they'd be big, because they were good bands, friends at the time, and it was fun on the road," Cronos said. "I hoped this scene would get bigger. I wanted everybody to love this music, and the heavier the better. But I never would have thought that Metallica would have had the success that they've had.
"They've had some shit albums — they'd have to admit that. But the first three albums, fucking great."
Cronos doesn't mince words.
