Venom formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums `Welcome to Hell' (1981) and `Black Metal' (1982) are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Venom's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal. Often cited by bands such as Metallica, Behemoth, Celtic Frost and Mayhem as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. Unleash raw black metal fury with their fourth studio album, Possessed, a relentless blast of speed, chaos and dark energy. Released in 1985, the album is presented on red, black and white "insomnia" colored vinyl with printed inner sleeve.
