Today (Oct. 1), news broke that Conrad “Cronos” Lant, the legendary bassist and vocalist of the first self-described black metal act Venom, died at the age of 63. Co-founding guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn has paid tribute to his former bandmate, revealing he learned of the news two days ago.

Mantas acknowledges in an Instagram post the “turbulent history” of Venom and that he had spoken with the group’s original drummer Anton “Abaddon” Bray since Cronos’ death, speaking on his behalf as well in the statement.

The classic trio played together on Venom’s first four albums from 1981 through 1985 (Welcome to Hell, Black Metal, At War With Satan, and Possessed) and, later, on 1997’s Cast in Stone. The band’s gritty style, raw attack, relentless attitude, and cheat-beating Satanic themes informed thrash and black metal’s development, in particular.

Venom’s influence over the trajectory of heavy metal and its plunge deeper into the underground is undeniable, a notion Mantas fully realizes, stating, “It was, at the end of the day, the three of us who started something so special and changed the direction, movement, and history of metal as we know it.”

He recollects the positive times in Venom’s “early days” where the band was driven by a unified, collective goal. The guitarist also turns his attention back to the bitterness between Venom’s classic members and that Cronos’ death “hits hard” regardless.

See the full statement below.

May I thank you all for the overwhelming outpouring of appreciation and condolences.
Justly deserved I believe.

I speak for myself and Abaddon, who I spoke to today when I say that, despite the turbulent history of this band, it was at the end of the day the three of us who started something so special and changed the direction, the movement, and the history of metal as we know it.

We were aware of the news two days ago, but obviously without the consent and wishes of Conrad‘s family, we were not at liberty to say anything to anyone and we respected that.

At times like this, the thing I remember is the friendship that we had in those early days, that one for all, all for one mentality, that rebellious quality and the absolute driven urge to be something so different whether it was accepted or not.

I still have many early video footage recordings of the three of us where we just laughed sometimes for no other reason than just being silly; our sense of humor was an acquired taste.

I thank you all for the countless messages and as I’ve said, despite the history, the arguments, the name-calling, the ups and downs and the dysfunctional manner of this band, this hits hard.

I shall speak to you tomorrow, my friends.

Rest in power, Conrad Cronos Lant.

READ MORE: Venom’s Cronos: The Story Behind Coining ‘Black Metal,’ Touring With Metallica + More (2018 Interview)

Members of the metal community have started paying tribute to Cronos and those posts can be seen below.

Metal Musicians Pay Tribute to Cronos

venoms cronos

Venom

Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer)

Philip Anselmo (Pantera, Down)

Iggor Cavalera (ex-Sepultura, Cavalera Conspiracy)

Watain

Chaq Mol (Dark Funeral)

Jimmy Bower (Eyehategod, Down)

Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Danzig, Quiet Riot, Silvertomb)

Michael Amott (Arch Enemy, ex-Carcass)

Lee Dorrian (Cathedral, ex-Napalm Death)

Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill (Primordial)

Impaled Nazarene

Peter Tagtgren (Hypocrisy)

Mortiis

Thor

Hellbutcher (Nifelheim)

Below, see the other rock and metal figures we’ve lost this year.