The legacy and future of Venom Inc.
Mantas retires from the band but Tony Dolan soldiers on with Venom Inc.
Jeff “Mantas” Dunn’s retirement from Venom Inc. has caused a bit of a stir when it comes to what the future holds for Venom Inc. Make no mistake about it, since the very beginning, Venom Inc. has been led from the front by the unstoppable bassist and vocalist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan. If you know anything about Tony, or Posh Tone as we like to call him here at Roppongi Rocks headquarters, it is that he always soldiers on.
Since Venom Inc. was founded in 2015 to carry on the legacy of the legendary British band Venom, Tony has been in the driving seat. Having made a name for himself with the band Atomkraft, he joined Venom in the late 1980s as its frontman, handling both bass and lead vocal duties. Tony brought new energy to the band’s live performances during his years in Venom. He performed on and co-wrote the albums “Prime Evil”, “Temples of Ice” and “The Waste Lands”. He also appeared on the EP “…Tear Your Soul Apart” and the “Live ‘90” live release recorded at the Marquee Club in London.
Later, he would continue to work with Mantas in the band Mantas, including playing bass on the album “Zero Tolerance” (2004). Mantas and Tony then formed the band M-Pire of Evil. M-Pire featured former Venom drummer Antton Lant who was later replaced by Marc “JXN” Jackson. The band released two full-length albums before Tony and Mantas reunited with former Venom drummer Abaddon to form Venom Inc. Venom Inc. has featured several former Venom members. Tony, Mantas and Abaddon were there from the start and later on former Venom guitarists Mike Hickey and Al Barnes appeared live with the band. It has been a great celebration of the Venom legacy with the band performing both classic Venom songs and original Venom Inc. material from the excellent albums “Avé” (2017) and “There’s Only Black” (2022).
Former M-Pire of Evil drummer Marc “JXN” Jackson joined Venom Inc. in 2024 and American guitarist Curran “Beleth” Murphy has been filling in for Mantas for all of Venom Inc’s gigs in 2024. He made his live debut with Venom Inc. at the Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta, Indonesia on 5th May 2024. Following Mantas’ retirement, Curran became the band’s permanent guitarist. Curran is a former member of Annihilator who appeared on the releases “Waking the Fury” (2002), “Double Live Annihilation” (2003) and “All for You” (2004). He was also a touring guitarist for Nevermore. In addition to playing with Venom Inc., Curran is a member of Ohio-based melodic death metal band 72 Legions. His career has also included playing with Shatter Messiah, Abandoned Souls, Aggression Core, Dead Earth, Faustus, H.A.T.E. and Sunless Sky.
Curran has already earned his spot in the band and seems to be a great fit. The future of Venom Inc. is bright. The legacy continues. And while Mantas won’t be on the road any time soon, he seems to be busy in his Portuguese home studio.
