The skateboarding world is remembering Conrad “Cronos” Lant following the news of his death at 63, which we previously reported.
For OG skateboarders, Cronos and Venom were not just part of the metal scene. Their music found its way into skate videos and became part of the soundtrack for countless sessions and video parts over the years.
Now Dom DeLuca is remembering the first time he met the Venom frontman, and judging by his story, it was a pretty big deal for a 14 year old kid who absolutely loved the band.
“Man this sucks,” DeLuca wrote while sharing his memories of meeting Cronos.
DeLuca said he was 14 when he asked his mother to drive him to Zig Zag Records to meet Venom. When they arrived, she saw the long line of people outside and a picture of the band, which apparently made her nervous about letting her son get out of the car.
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His mother ended up going inside with him.
At the time, DeLuca admitted he was embarrassed that his mom came along. Looking back, though, that moment became a memory he would never forget.
He remembered Cronos as being incredibly cool and said meeting him felt like “meeting God.”
That gives you an idea of just how much Venom meant to him.
DeLuca also recalled what his mother thought after meeting the band. She later told his father that she was surprised by how nice everyone was, especially Cronos.
What stuck with DeLuca was that Cronos was just as wild and energetic in person as he appeared in the band’s videos.
For a kid who loved Venom, getting to meet one of the people behind that music must have been a pretty surreal experience.
Venom became hugely influential within black metal and heavy music, while their songs also found a home in skate videos.
For many skateboarders from that era, discovering a band could happen while watching a favorite skater throw down in a video part.
That is part of why Cronos’ passing hits home for people who grew up with that culture. His voice and Venom’s music were woven into the soundtrack of an era of skateboarding that many still remember.
DeLuca Posted:
"Man this sucks … I’ll never forget the time I met Cronos from the almighty Venom.. I was 14 years old and I had my mom drive me to zig zag records… she was scared to let me out the car seeing the line of people and a picture of Venom.. she actually went with me and I was embarrassed but I remember how cool he was … I felt like I was meeting god .. he was that much to me .. I LOVED Venom.. the godfathers of Black Metal … later my Mom told my dad that she was surprised how nice the band was but how nice Cronos was .. was just like he was in videos .. energetic and crazy …
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Rest easy dude 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻"