RIP Cronos: The Venom Satanic Sound That Became Part of Skateboarding History

RIP Conrad Cronos Lant Venom Skateboards — Credit: Ronald van de Baan; Volatile Skateboards

Conrad “Cronos” Lant, founding member and frontman of the legendary black metal band Venom, has passed away at the age of 63.

For a lot of skateboarders who grew up watching old skate videos, Venom was already part of the soundtrack long before we ever knew who was behind the music.

Their songs showed up in sections filled with street skating, rough spots, massive handrails, insane bowls and the kind of footage that made those videos so memorable.

That connection between Venom and skateboarding goes back decades.

Satanic Black Metal Skate Crew Barrier Kult — @Instagram.com/barrierkult

Skate videos had a way of introducing people to music they might never have discovered on their own.

You could watch a video because you wanted to see your favorite skaters, then walk away with an entirely new list of bands to check out.

Venom was one of those bands.

One example is The Skateboard Mag’s Mag Minute featuring Drew Dezort. His skating was paired with Venom’s “Carnivorous,” bringing Cronos and the band’s unmistakable sound into a modern skate section while still carrying that old school connection between heavy music and skateboarding.

Then there is Small Beating’s “Never Turn Your Back On The Concrete Surf,” featuring Tyler Lee skating to Venom’s “In League With Satan.”

The Satanic song fit perfectly with the raw feel of the footage and the rough concrete surroundings.

Creature Skateboards also tapped into that connection with its Black Metal video. The Arizona and Texas #2 footage featured Venom’s “Women, Leather and Hell” as part of the soundtrack.

For skateboarders who grew up with these videos, hearing Venom could instantly bring back memories of sitting around watching skate footage, rewinding sections and trying to find out what song was playing.

Cronos helped create music that found a life far beyond the metal scene.

Venom influenced generations of heavy bands, but their sound also found a home in skateboarding, where loud guitars and aggressive music became a natural companion to street footage.

Jerry Gurney Soldier of Hell Pro Model and Winged Demon Mortuary Team Deck — Credit: Jerry Gurney; Mortuary Skates

That is part of what makes his passing hit differently for anyone who grew up with those old videos. You might not have discovered Venom through a record store or a metal show.

You may have first heard them while watching someone skate.

Rest in peace, Cronos.

Your music will keep playing through the old skate videos that helped introduce an entire generation to Venom.