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29 авг 2025
Ex-VENOM Members MANTAS And ABADDON Reunite In Legal Battle Against CRONOS Over VENOM Logo Copyright
Now in their 60s, Mantas and Abaddon seek a fair resolution to ensure their families benefit from VENOM's enduring legacy, which helped define the black metal genre. "We're simply asking for what is rightfully ours," they said in a joint statement. "After decades of avoidable conflict, we want peace and closure."
Despite efforts to resolve the dispute amicably, the duo has been forced to pursue legal action, incurring significant personal and financial costs.
The legal battle intensified in June 2024, with Cronos suing Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd, accusing the distributor of selling merchandise with Lant's copyrighted VENOM designs and Bray of approving the infringement through a licensing agreement. The dispute revolved around the fact that both parties were licensing and selling official VENOM merchandise featuring the contested designs.
Mantas and Abaddon express deep gratitude to Plastic Head for their support (including facilitating this crowdfunder) and to the Legions for their unwavering devotion. "It was the honor of a lifetime to create music that inspired a genre," they shared. "Your support has carried us through the best and hardest times."
After Abaddon's recent triumph over cancer, the pair pledge any surplus funds from their campaign to the MacMillan Cancer Charity.
The duo is calling on fans worldwide to help fund their legal fight. "If every fan bought us a pint, we could see this through," they said.
Contributions can be made at this location.
According to Law360.com, Lant testified in court that he joined VENOM in late 1979 and came up with the Satanic-themed designs used in the band's logo and album covers, which included goat heads, pentagrams and inverted crosses.
Bray filed a counterclaim for infringement against Lant and Lant's distributor, Razmataz.com Ltd., arguing that Bray was the real author of the works.
Because Lant was able to produce numerous sketches which demonstrated his design process and Bray was unable to do the same, Bray was deemed the owner of the original logo, while Lant was found to be the creator and copyright owner of all but one of the other artistic works in dispute.
Regarding the first VENOM logo used by the band — the version of the logo used on the album "Welcome To Hell", released by Neat Records in 1981, but that predated that release — High Court Recorder Amanda Michaels, who heard the case, wrote in her July 31, 2025 judgment, which has been obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET: "Mr Lant said that he had produced the logo soon after joining the band, whilst Mr Bray said that he had painted it himself onto a drum riser used for the band before Mr Lant joined it. Mr Bray's evidence was supported by Mr Dunn and Mr Ash [Stephen Ash, who was a friend of Bray's from 1977 and was involved in the early years of the band], both of whom agreed that the band had been called VENOM before Mr Lant joined it, and that VENOM['s first logo] was in use on the drum riser before he joined the band.
"The Defendants had no documentary support for the claim that the logo was designed by Mr Bray before autumn 1979," the judgment continued. "They initially relied on a photograph of the original vocalist [Clive] Archer standing on stage in front of a VENOM logo, saying this showed [the original] VENOM logo. Mr Bray said that this was taken at a birthday party and predated Mr Lant joining the band. However, the Defendants later conceded that the image had been cropped from a photograph which it was agreed had been taken at a performance in Newcastle in 1980 which showed Mr Lant on stage too, playing guitar. The logo in that complete photograph could be either version 1 or 2, so does not help to establish either side's case on VENOM Logo 1. On the other hand, there is a photograph of Mr Dunn standing before the drum riser on stage, and the logo on it appears to me to be VENOM Logo 1. The V is not shown in full, but the tops of the letter N, O and M are visible and are rounded rather than pointed, which means this was Logo 1. Mr Lant identified that photograph as being from a performance in about March 1980 in Newcastle. I think it likely that it is from the same gig as is shown in the larger photograph, but if it is not, it is from much the same time. Unfortunately, the fact that the band was using VENOM Logo 1 in early 1980 — which I do not think was really in issue — does not help me to resolve the question of who designed it.
"Mr Lant said that he started by redesigning the Sigil of Baphomet device, and the following week took some sketches of a new VENOM logo to rehearsals to show to the others," the judgment added. "He worked on the sketches and got Mr Bray's approval of them before reaching the final version, which was then put onto a drum riser. He believes that happened in late 1979 or early 1980. He disclosed some early sketches, which include some versions of the logo which are highly similar if not identical to VENOM Logo 1. However, the sketches are all undated and it is not possible to know the sequence in which they were drawn, or whether they were original works or copies of an existing form of the logo used as a baseline for design ideas. One such drawing shows a logo which is neither VENOM Logo 1 or 2 on a sketch of a ticket for a very early performance by the band. This does not help to establish dates or the sequence of design iterations. In the circumstances, it does not seem to me that Mr Lant's evidence that he drew VENOM Logo 1 as well as 2 is clearly supported by any documents. My finding that VENOM Logo 1 was in use on a drum riser in early 1980 cannot help me to resolve the issue of its authorship.
"Mr Lant's claim to authorship was contradicted by the evidence of Mr Bray, Mr Dunn and Mr Ash, all of whom were involved with the band prior to Mr Lant joining it. Both Mr Dunn and Mr Ash believe that Mr Bray was the author of VENOM Logo 1 and produced it before Mr Lant joined the band. Mr Ash said that he remembered helping to attach the signage with VENOM Logo 1 to the drum riser to do a show on Mr Bray's mother's lawn, when the band made so much noise that the neighbours called the police. Mr Dunn said that the version of the logo shown to him by Mr Lant at the rehearsal was VENOM Logo 2, not 1, and his willingness to accept that Mr Lant was the author of that version of the logo gives some weight to that evidence and his view that he did not draw VENOM Logo 1. On balance, I consider that I should accept the evidence for the Defendants on this point, the veracity of which was not challenged.
"Mr Dunn expressed the view in evidence that all of the artworks in issue were produced by the band and could be used by any member of the band. He thought that was made plain by the presence of copyright notices in the form '© Venom' on the albums and older merchandise, such as that produced by Razmataz in 1996. However, this was not either side's pleaded case. Also, in the 1990s the members of the band discussed entering into an agreement to share use of the band's artwork, but that did not happen. On the contrary, there is no suggestion that at any time Mr Lant authorised the Defendants to use his copyright works, or that Mr Bray authorised Mr Lant and Razmataz to use his works."
Nearly a decade ago, Dunn formed VENOM INC. with Bray and another former VENOM member, bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.
Last December, approximately eight months after suffering his second heart attack, Dunn announced that he was leaving VENOM INC., explaining in a statement that his "health and wellbeing are of paramount importance to myself and my family," but adding that "there are also more personal issues which have influenced my decision."
Dunn suffered his first heart attack in May 2018 and underwent a double bypass surgery.
Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Mike Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.
VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.
VENOM's classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded four studio LPs, "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.
Abaddon was part of VENOM's classic lineup from 1978 to 1992. He then returned to the band in 1995 and stayed with them for four years before joining VENOM INC. alongside Dunn and Dolan. VENOM INC. released its debut album, "Avé", in August 2017. A year later, VENOM INC. revealed that it was recruiting Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE to fill in for Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.
Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).
In September 2022, Bray revealed that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma.
Japanese rock music promoter UPP-tone Music announced last month that Dunn and Bray will perform "VENOM classics" on November 30 at Shinjuku Antiknock, a legendary music venue in Tokyo, Japan, alongside some of Japan's finest black metal players: Masaki "Gezol" Tachi (SABBAT) on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima (SIGH) on vocals, Shinji "Samm" Tachi (METALUCIFER) on drums, and Noboru "Jero" Sakuma (ABIGAIL) on guitar. Support at the gig will come from SURVIVE and HELL FREEZES OVER.
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