<\/p>\n
In a new interview with “The Tampa Morgue”<\/b> podcast, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn<\/b> spoke about some of the recent shows he has played with fellow VENOM<\/b> co-founder Antony “Abaddon” Bray<\/b> to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the pioneering black metal band’s classic debut album, 1981’s “Welcome To Hell”<\/b>. When the interviewer noted that it must be “overwhelming” for him to see such a positive response from the VENOM<\/b> fans to him and Abaddon<\/b> playing together again, Mantas<\/b> said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET<\/b>): “It is<\/i> overwhelming because we just see each other as a couple of guys who have been in a band together. But it’s something special for everybody else. And I do realize now how special it is for people to see us two together. And it’s working.<\/p>\n
“I’ve said it at the end of shows that looking back on it and having time to reflect, the partnership that we had should never have drifted,” Mantas<\/b> continued. “I think a lot of [the bad blood] has been outside influence from other people, just causing that conflict within things. Yeah, myself and Abaddon<\/b> have spoken, and we’ve both said that there’s a lot of fucking water under the bridge between us, which is between us kind of thing. And when it comes down to the musical side of stuff, I’ve got to admit that \u2014 and he’ll say the same thing \u2014 that I’m more of a perfectionist than he is. But I don’t know what it is, but together, it just works.”<\/p>\n
Circling back to the reaction from the VENOM<\/b> fans, Mantas<\/b> added: “Everybody’s saying it. I’m not. Before anybody gets on my case, any fucking keyboard warrior who’s sitting in your mom’s basement with your fucking pizza, shut the fuck up, because I’m not saying this, but other people are saying, ‘This is fucking VENOM<\/b>.’ That’s your opinion.”<\/p>\n
Mantas<\/b> also once again addressed the fact that there are now three different bands using variations of the VENOM<\/b> band name. In addition to their new collaboration, there is the Conrad “Cronos” Lant<\/b>-fronted version of VENOM<\/b>, in which Cronos<\/b> is the sole remaining member from the band’s classic era, and there is VENOM INC.<\/b>, which is led by bassist\/vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan<\/b>, who was a member of VENOM<\/b> between 1989 and 1992, appearing on the albums “Prime Evil”<\/b> (1989),“Temples Of Ice”<\/b> (1991) and “The Waste Lands”<\/b> (1992).<\/p>\n
“Me, when I’ve been asked about it, ‘Oh, what do you think of the current VENOM<\/b> situation?’ I always go, ‘What VENOM<\/b> situation? There isn’t a fucking VENOM<\/b> situation,'” Mantas said. “There’s bands out there playing VENOM<\/b> music. There’s two bands out there playing VENOM<\/b> music, and there’s one band who [says], ‘We’re not VENOM<\/b>.’ Okay, you’re not VENOM<\/b>. Don’t play the music anymore. Simple as that. Just don’t bother. We’re just going out there and celebrating the thing.<\/p>\n
“I think the only time people will say, like, ‘Oh, VENOM<\/b>,’ and all that, the VENOM<\/b> thing, is if the three of us [members of the classic VENOM<\/b> lineup] ever came back together. [But it’s] never gonna fucking happen… I can’t see it [ever] happening.”<\/p>\n
Asked if there is a possibility of him and Abaddon<\/b> working on new VENOM<\/b> music with Blake “Bulld\u00f6zer” Arendell<\/b> (a.k.a. Blake Arenvurst<\/b>; INTERCEPTOR<\/b>),who has played bass and handled lead vocals, along with various special guests, at their recent shows, Mantas<\/b> said: “There’s a possibility. [Laughs<\/i>] When I first got the question, I was a definite no. I said, ‘No. Who needs it? Who needs another VENOM<\/b> album?’ But then people were saying to me, me in particular, they were, like, ‘Yeah, but you wrote the original stuff, so we need this originality, we need this authenticity. And you and Abaddon<\/b> together,’ it’s like fucking hell. And I was, like, ‘Yeah, yeah. Whatever, whatever.’ And then Blake<\/b> was saying that some of his buddies had been saying, like, ‘Wow, are you gonna do an album with these guys, something retro?’ So we’ve spoken and we’ve said, ‘Right, okay, let’s just take our time. Whatever happens, happens.’ And I think the initial plan is to just get one song and debut it live and see what happens. Blake<\/b> has already started sending me riffs. [Laughs<\/i>] Fucking hell.”<\/p>\n
Last August, Mantas<\/b> and Abaddon<\/b> went public with their legal battle against Cronos<\/b>. The legal battle intensified in June 2024, with Cronos<\/b> suing Abaddon<\/b> and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd<\/b>, accusing the distributor of selling merchandise with Lant<\/b>‘s copyrighted VENOM<\/b> designs and Bray<\/b> of approving the infringement through a licensing agreement. The dispute revolved around the fact that both parties were licensing and selling official VENOM<\/b> merchandise featuring the contested designs.<\/p>\n