Venom is a Speed/ Black Metal band, formed in 1979, in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. Influenced by Rock and Heavy metal acts such as Judas Priest, The Sex Pistols, KISS and Motörhead, Venom created a sound as well an image that would be a big influence to early death, black, and thrash metal bands at the time, and the pioneers of the genre of black metal. Mayhem, Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament, Hellhammer, Morbid Angel and even Slipknot cite Venom as a major influence.