Venom Prison are a Welsh

death metal Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep growling vocals; aggressive, powerful drumming, feat ...

band. Stephen Hill of ''

Metal Hammer ''Metal Hammer'' is a heavy metal music magazine and website founded in 1983, published in the United Kingdom by Future, with other language editions available in numerous other countries. ''Metal Hammer'' features news, reviews and long-form ...

'' described their second album as "2019’s most anticipated

extreme metal Extreme metal is a loosely defined umbrella term for a number of related heavy metal music subgenres that have developed since the early 1980s. It has been defined as a "cluster of metal subgenres characterized by sonic, verbal, and visual tran ...

albums". Their lead vocalist Larissa Stupar was described by ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...

'' as "metal's most important - and uncompromising - voice". The band has released four studio albums.

History

In 2015, former Wolf Down vocalist, Larissa Stupar (born in Russia), moved to Wales, where she met Ash Gray of Brutality Will Prevail, with whom she would begin writing music. They coined the name "Venom Prison" as it was "the most metal name they could imagine". The pair released the demo EP ''Defy the Tyrant'' in 2015, before recruiting Ben Thomas to play lead guitar and Joe Sheehy to play drums, along with bass guitarist Mike Jeffries. This line-up released the 2015 EP ''The Primal Chaos''. The band released their debut studio album on 14 October 2016, entitled ''Animus''. The album was released to critical acclaim. On 7 July 2017, the band released a music video for "Perpetrator Emasculation" from ''Animus''. The band were set to support

Decapitated Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the au ...

on their November 2017 European tour. Following the arrest of all four members of Decapitated's line-up for allegations of rape, Venom Prison cancelled their shows with the band. In August 2018, the band joined

Dying Fetus Dying Fetus is an American death metal band originally from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Formed in 1991, the group is known for their consistently hook-laden song structures, characterized by blast beats, complex riffing, slam riffs and hea ...

Toxic Holocaust Toxic Holocaust is an American thrash metal band from Portland, Oregon. History Joel Grind founded Toxic Holocaust in 1999. He originally wrote and recorded all of the band's music himself, and after a couple of demo releases (''Radiation Sick ...

and

Goatwhore Goatwhore is an American extreme metal band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1997. Biography Goatwhore was formed by guitarist/backing vocalist Sammy Duet, who was previously the lead guitarist for Louisiana sludge metal band Acid Bath. The ...

on their European tour. In May and June 2019, the band toured Europe, beginning in Germany and ending in the UK, opening for

Fit for an Autopsy Fit for an Autopsy is an American deathcore band from Jersey City, New Jersey, formed in 2008. The band consists of guitarists Pat Sheridan, Will Putney and Tim Howley, drummer Josean Orta, vocalist Joe Badolato, and bassist Peter "Blue" Spinaz ...

. Their second studio album, ''Samsara'' was released on 15 March 2019. On 21 March 2019, the band announced a collaboration with American streetwear brand

The Hundreds The Hundreds is a streetwear brand founded in Los Angeles in 2003 by law school classmates Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar. The Hundreds also sells a print magazine, footwear and eyewear. In 2011 ''Complex'' magazine named The Hundreds as the fifth-gr ...

. Venom Prison's third album ''Primeval'', a collection of re-recorded early material, was released on 9 October 2020. On 10 December 2020, Venom Prison announced on social media that they had been signed to Century Media Records, and the band had begun recording their next studio album. The album, titled ''Erebos'', was released on 4 February 2022. Venom Prison performed on the Main Stage at Bloodstock 2021.

Musical style and influences

The band are generally described as

, featuring elements of

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

and

grindcore Grindcore is an extreme fusion genre of heavy metal and hardcore punk that originated in the mid-1980s, drawing inspiration from abrasive-sounding musical styles, such as thrashcore, crust punk, hardcore punk, extreme metal, and industrial. G ...

. In an article for ''

'' by Stephen Hill, they were described as "part-death metal/part-hardcore". Their lyrics are generally based around political and social topics such as misogyny, rape culture, fascism, mental health and organised religion. The members have cited influences including

Carcass Carcass or Carcase (both pronounced ) may refer to: *Dressed carcass, the body of a livestock animal ready for butchery, after removal of skin, visceral organs, head, feet etc. *Carrion, the decaying dead body of an animal or human being *The str ...

Napalm Death Napalm Death are an English grindcore band formed in 1981 in Meriden, West Midlands. None of the band's original members has been in the group since 1986. But since ''Utopia Banished'' (1992), the lineup of bassist Shane Embury, guitarist Mitch ...

and

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

. Frontwoman Larissa Stupar has described her past involvement in

anti-fascist Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...

and animal rights activism as inspiring the political content of Venom Prison's music.

Members

Current line-up *Larissa Stupar – lead vocals (2015–present) *Ash Gray – guitar (2015–present) *Ben Thomas – guitar (2015–present) *Mike Jefferies – bass (2015–present) *Joe Bills – drums (2019–present) Past members *Joe Sheehy – drums (2015–2017) *Jay Pipprell – drums (2017–2019) Timeline

Discography

Studio albums *''Animus'' (2016) *''Samsara'' (2019) *''Primeval'' (2020) *''Erebos'' (2022) EPs * ''Defy the Tyrant'' (2015) * ''The Primal Chaos'' (2015)

Accolades

References

{{reflist Welsh death metal musical groups Welsh musical quintets Musical groups established in 2015 2015 establishments in Wales Female-fronted musical groups