Because nothing says “true black metal spirit” quite like a courtroom battle, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Anthony “Abaddon” Bray have officially reunited—this time not with guitars and drums, but with lawyers. The duo is locked in a legal struggle with former bandmate Conrad “Cronos” Lant over the ownership of VENOM’s iconic logo and related artwork.
Since 2023, Mantas and Abaddon have been trying to secure recognition for their contributions to VENOM’s visual identity, as well as their share of merchandise profits tied to the band’s earliest (and most influential) records: Welcome to Hell (1981), Black Metal (1982), At War With Satan (1984), and Possessed (1985). In other words, they want a slice of the pie they helped bake while redefining heavy music.
The dispute escalated in June 2024, when Cronos sued Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd., claiming they had profited from merchandise featuring his copyrighted VENOM designs. Bray countered, insisting he was the original author of the earliest logo, pointing to the band’s pre-Cronos days. Cronos, however, produced numerous sketches that convinced the court he was indeed the creator of most of VENOM’s satanic iconography—goat heads, inverted crosses, and all.
The High Court’s July 31, 2025 ruling essentially gave Cronos the upper hand, though questions remain around the very first version of the VENOM logo, painted on a drum riser sometime around 1980. Sadly, this was not settled with a sword duel in a graveyard, but through lengthy testimony and blurry vintage photos.
Still, Mantas and Abaddon aren’t giving up. They’ve launched a crowdfunder to cover their legal fees, rallying the “Legions” of die-hard fans to pitch in. “If every fan bought us a pint, we could see this through,” the pair said in a statement—surely one of the most British ways ever to ask for cash.
There’s also a charitable angle: after Abaddon’s recovery from cancer, the two pledged any leftover funds from the campaign to the MacMillan Cancer Charity.
Meanwhile, VENOM continues under Cronos, still touring and recording with Rage (guitar) and Danté (drums). Mantas and Abaddon, for their part, recently announced they’ll perform VENOM classics this November in Tokyo with members of SABBAT, SIGH, METALUCIFER, and ABIGAIL. So at least fans will still get some blast-from-the-past chaos, even if the courtroom drama drags on.
In the end, this whole saga proves one thing: even 40 years after Black Metal rewired the underground, VENOM’s legacy is still powerful enough to summon not just headbangers—but lawyers.
