Fan-filmed video footage has surfaced capturing iconic Venom co-founders Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Anthony “Abaddon” Bray sharing the stage at the 2026 edition of Pitfest on June 5 in Emmen, Netherlands. The historic performance was organized to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Venom‘s genre-defining 1981 debut album, Welcome To Hell.
To honor the landmark release, Dunn and Bray assembled a powerful lineup of elite guest musicians from across the extreme metal landscape. Joining the founding duo on stage was legendary frontman and bassist David Vincent (I Am Morbid, Terrorizer, Vltimas, ex-Morbid Angel).
The anniversary celebration also featured standout guest appearances by vocalist Diva Satanica (Bloodhunter, ex-Nervosa) and Blake “Bulldözer” Arendell (also known as Blake Arenvurst of Interceptor), giving the festival audience a rare look at the foundational classics that originally shaped the black metal genre.
On November 30 last year, Jeff “Mantas” Dunn and Antony “Abaddon” Bray reunited at the Shinjuku Antiknock venue, treating fans to a blistering set of classics that defined the extreme metal genre.
The all-star backing band featured Masaki “Gezol” Tachi of Sabbat on bass and vocals, Mirai Kawashima of the avant-garde metal legends Sigh on vocals, Shinji “Samm” Tachi of Metalucifer on drums, and Noboru “Jero” Sakuma of Abigail on guitar. The night also featured opening sets from Survive and Hell Freezes Over.
During a previous interview with MetalKaoz, Mantas revealed that an olive branch had been extended to Cronos regarding the upcoming 2026 anniversary shows, which include confirmed stops at Germany’s Keep It True festival and Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting. The invitation, however, was swiftly rejected.
“I’ll tell you right now that for 2026, the 45th anniversary of Welcome To Hell, Cronos has been invited,” Mantas told the outlet. “He was invited by me. He was invited by the lawyers in the [recent] court case. His answer was, ‘It’s not worth my time.’ That was his answer.”
Despite the rejection, Mantas admitted he isn’t exactly heartbroken over the decision, comparing the dynamic of the original lineup to returning to a poisonous personal relationship.
“What I say to people is this. Fair enough, everybody wants to see their favorite members back together. We know that… Think of the most toxic relationship you’ve ever been involved in, how it made you feel. At your age now, invite it back into your life,” he reasoned.
The relationship between the former bandmates remains fractured by legal battles. In 2024, Cronos filed a lawsuit against Abaddon and Plastic Head Music Distribution Ltd, claiming unauthorized use of copyrighted designs and merchandise.
Reflecting on the early days of Venom, Mantas lamented how business eventually eroded the brotherhood of the band.
“We were three young guys in a band, happy to be in a band and jamming. And that was it. And to us, at that particular point, it didn’t matter who wrote the songs or who did the drawings or whatever. It was one for all and all for one.”
He continued, noting that while the imagery was iconic, the legacy ultimately rests on the music itself.
“Now, it doesn’t matter what your logo looks like. It doesn’t matter how good your album cover is… A band isn’t about logos and t-shirts and stuff like that — it’s about music. Why do you wear the t-shirt of a band? Because you like their music. It’s as simple as that.”
Despite the acrimony, Mantas offered praise for Cronos‘s artistic contributions to their catalog.
“Now, I’m not saying that Cronos didn’t write anything. He wrote some phenomenal lyrics, and I’ve said this. The lyrics to ‘Manitou’, I think they are stunning. The lyrics to ‘Nightmare’ — amazing. We came up with some great songs together in the later stages.”
However, regarding the album they are about to celebrate, Mantas was clear about the creative credits: “Welcome To Hell is my first attempt at writing songs. I hadn’t written anything before that — not a thing.”
