Venom formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. The band rose to prominence during the final years of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, with their first two albums—Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982)—widely regarded as seminal influences on thrash metal and extreme metal as a whole. Their second album was so influential that its title gave its name to the extreme metal subgenre black metal.
Frequently cited as a major inspiration by bands including Metallica, Behemoth, Celtic Frost, and Mayhem, Venom remain one of the most revered and influential metal bands of their generation.
Originally released in 1984, At War with Satan is a landmark in heavy metal history. The band's third studio album combines Venom's signature aggressive blend of proto-black and thrash metal with an ambitious, side-long epic title track that helped redefine the boundaries of heavy music.
