{{Short description|English heavy metal band}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Use British English|date=July 2016}} {{Refimprove|date=July 2021}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Cronos | image = Venom, Conrad „Cronos“ Lant at Party.San Metal Open Air 2013 09.jpg | caption = Conrad "Cronos" Lant performing in 2013 | image_size = | origin = Newcastle upon Tyne, England | genre = Heavy metal, thrash metal | years_active = 1988–1996 | label = Neat Metal | website = | current_members = | past_members = Conrad "Cronos" Lant<br />Mike Hickey<br />James Clare<br />Chris Patterson<br />Ian McCormack<br />Mark Ramsey Wharton }}
'''Cronos''' were an English heavy metal band formed in 1988 by Venom frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant.
==History== Conrad "Cronos" Lant's eponymous band formed after disappointing sales of Venom's ''Calm Before the Storm'' album led him to quit Venom.<ref name="LarkinHR">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1999|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0257-7|page=109}}</ref> He took with him the two guitarists, Mike Hickey and James Clare,<ref name="LarkinHR"/> that Venom had hired to replace founding guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn, upon his departure in 1986. The three ex-Venom members added drummer Chris Patterson to complete Cronos' initial line-up, releasing ''Dancing in the Fire'' in 1990,<ref name="LarkinHR"/> followed by 1991's ''Rock n' Roll Disease''.<ref name="AMG">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cronos-mn0000128524|title=Cronos | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|access-date=16 July 2021}}</ref>
Clare and Patterson both left in the years following, with the latter briefly replaced by drummer Ian McCormack and later by ex-Cathedral and Acid Reign drummer Mark Ramsey Wharton.<ref name="AMG"/> A third album, ''Triumvirate'', was recorded but never released. Instead, the band released the confusingly-titled ''Venom'' in 1995,<ref name="LarkinHR"/> which collected songs from the first two records, material from ''Triumvirate'', as well as re-recorded Venom material performed by the current Cronos line-up. In 1995, the 'classic' Venom lineup reformed, cancelling the release of ''Triumvirate'' and sending Cronos (the group) into permanent hiatus.<ref name="AMG"/> Hickey then embarked on a brief stint touring with the English death metal band Carcass.
Lant has been active with Venom ever since. Hickey also rejoined Venom in 2005, but departed again two years later. Cronos' 2006 ''Hell to the Unknown'' double-CD repackages the ''Venom'' album with further rarities, demos, and previously released material.
==Members== *Conrad "Cronos" Lant – vocals, bass <small>(1988–1996)</small> *Mike Hickey – guitar, vocals <small>(1988–1996)</small> *James Clare – guitar, keyboards, vocals <small>(1988–1993)</small> *Chris Patterson – drums <small>(1988–1992)</small> *Ian McCormack – drums <small>(1992–1993)</small> *Mark Ramsey Wharton – drums <small>(1993–1995)</small>
==Discography== *''Dancing in the Fire'' (1990) *''Rock n' Roll Disease'' (1993) *''Venom'' (1995) *''Hell to the Unknown'' (2006) – anthology release
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{allmusic}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090212164028/http://bnrmetal.com/v2/bandpage.php?ID=Cron Cronos] at the BNR Metal Pages *[https://web.archive.org/web/20090217194755/http://www.cronos.nu/ CRONOS] The Black Metal God
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronos}} Category:Musical groups established in 1988 Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1995 Category:English thrash metal musical groups