Venom Prison are a Welsh death metal band. Stephen Hill of Metal Hammer described their second album as "2019’s most anticipated extreme metal albums".[1] Their lead vocalist Larissa Stupar was described by Kerrang! as "metal's most important - and uncompromising - voice".[2] 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.[3]
The band released their debut studio album on 14 October 2016, entitled Animus.[4] The album was released to critical acclaim.[5]
On 7 July 2017, the band released a music video for "Perpetrator Emasculation" from Animus.[6]
The band were set to support Decapitated 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.[7][8]
In August 2018, the band was set to join Dying Fetus, Toxic Holocaust and Goatwhore on their European tour,[9] but the tour was canceled because of "personal issues"[10]
In May and June 2019, the band toured Europe, beginning in Germany and ending in the UK,[11] opening for Fit for an Autopsy.[12][13]
Their second studio album, Samsara was released on 15 March 2019.[11]
On 21 March 2019, the band announced a collaboration with American streetwear brand The Hundreds.[14]
Venom Prison's third album Primeval, a collection of re-recorded early material, was released on 9 October 2020.[15]
On 10 December 2020, Venom Prison announced on social media that they had been signed to Century Media Records,[16] and the band had begun recording their next studio album.[17] The album, titled Erebos, was released on 4 February 2022.[18] Venom Prison performed on the Main Stage at Bloodstock 2021.[19]
^Morton, Luke (27 May 2019). "Venom Prison the Remarkable Story of the Rise and Rise of Metal's Most Important - and Uncompromising - Voice". Kerrang!.
