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Venom is a British heavy metal band formed in 1979 in Newcastle, England. Considered one of the founding bands of the black metal genre, Venom's aggressive and controversial sound was instrumental in shaping the development of various metal subcultures, including black metal itself, thrash metal, and speed metal. Known for their provocative lyrics, raw sound, and defiant attitudes, the band has become one of the most influential and iconic within heavy metal.

The band's debut album, Welcome to Hell (1981), set the tone for what would be the sound and image of Venom: fast and aggressive riffs, intense vocals and themes of occultism, violence and rebellion. The title track, "Welcome to Hell," became a metal anthem and helped solidify the band as one of the pioneering forces in extreme metal. Their raw and provocative sound influenced many bands that would emerge in the following decades, especially in the black metal scene.

The band's second album, Black Metal (1982), is perhaps the most important of their career and the one that consolidated Venom as one of the founding bands of black metal. The song "Black Metal", in particular, not only named the subgenre but also set its dark and defiant tone. With themes of Satanism and anti-religion, the album helped establish Venom as one of the most controversial bands of the era, with a fast and aggressive sound that influenced countless extreme metal bands in the following decades.

Throughout the '80s and '90s, Venom continued to release albums such as At War with Satan (1984) and Possessed (1985), maintaining their popularity on the underground metal circuit, while their sound evolved into something more polished, but without losing their raw and aggressive essence. The band also pioneered the development of a distinctive visual and stage style, with leather clothing, makeup, and occult symbols becoming hallmarks of their style.

Despite several changes in the band's lineup over the years and some hiatus periods, Venom remains one of the most respected bands in the metal world. His legacy lives on and his influence is felt in black metal, thrash metal and other subgenres of extreme metal. Venom is not just a metal band, but a legend that helped define and shape what many consider to be the foundations of modern metal.