Cronos (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1988 |
| Founder | Conrad "Cronos" Lant |
| Headquarters | England |
| Products | Heavy metal music, albums |
Cronos was a heavy metal group from England, established in 1988 by Conrad "Cronos" Lant, the lead vocalist of Venom.
History
After the underwhelming commercial performance of Venom's Calm Before the Storm, Conrad "Cronos" Lant decided to depart from Venom and create a new band. He recruited guitarists Mike Hickey and James Clare, both of whom had previously taken over guitar duties from Venom’s original guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn. The initial formation was completed with drummer Chris Patterson. This lineup produced two albums: Dancing in the Fire (1990) and Rock n' Roll Disease (1991).
Following the exit of Clare and Patterson, drummers Ian McCormack and subsequently Mark Ramsey Wharton—formerly of Cathedral and Acid Reign—joined the group. Although a third studio album titled Triumvirate was recorded, it was never officially released. Instead, the band issued the 1995 album Venom, which featured a compilation of tracks from their previous records, songs from Triumvirate, and re-recorded versions of Venom tracks performed by the then-current members. The classic Venom lineup reunited in 1995, which resulted in shelving Triumvirate and placing Cronos on an indefinite break. During this period, Mike Hickey briefly toured with the English death metal band Carcass.
Conrad Lant has continued his involvement with Venom since that time. Mike Hickey rejoined Venom in 2005 but departed again two years later in 2007. In 2006, Cronos released Hell to the Unknown, a double-CD compilation that repackaged the Venom album along with rare tracks, demos, and previously released material.
Members
- Conrad "Cronos" Lant – bass, vocals (1988–1996)
- Mike Hickey – guitar, vocals (1988–1996)
- James Clare – guitar, keyboards, vocals (1988–1993)
- Chris Patterson – drums (1988–1992)
- Ian McCormack – drums (1992–1993)
- Mark Ramsey Wharton – drums (1993–1995)
Discography
- Dancing in the Fire (1990)
- Rock n' Roll Disease (1993)
- Venom (1995)
- Hell to the Unknown (2006) – compilation release