American guitarist Hickey previously played with VENOM under the pseudonyms Mike H. and Mykus. He recorded ‘Calm Before The Storm’ with them in 1987. He was also the main guitarist in Cronos’ solo band, with whom he recorded Dancing In The Fire’ (1990) and ‘Rock ‘N Roll Disease’ (1993). He later rejoined VENOM, when Mantas was out for a family emergency, after which Cronos continued the name on his own, after a verbal permission by Mantas on the phone. During this period, Hickey recorded the ‘Metal Black’ (2006) album and wrote several tracks on the album ‘Hell’ (2008), before stepping out of the band. In an interview with Lords Of Metal Cronos later told that it was Mike Hickey who recommended current VENOM guitarist Stuart “Rage” Dixon to take his position in the band in 2007. Mantas then rejoined with former VENOM frontman Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan in M:Pire Of Evil in 2010 and later with VENOM INC in 2015.

VENOM INC. released its second album, “There’s Only Black“, last year via Nuclear Blast Records. Watch the previously released lyric videos for  ‘There’s Only Black’,  ‘Come To Me’,  ‘How Many Can Die’ and ‘Don’t Feed Me Your Lies’  below.

Lead singer/bassist Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan comments:
“Following Wacken in 2019, our live season closed giving us time where I could have my hip replacement surgery and we could take the recovery time to work on a new album… Little did anyone know we’d be hit by a pandemic that would pause the whole world. We began our work at a pace, then being locked down with no prospect of live shows, I decided there was no need to rush it along but utilize the time to create without the pressure of live work looming. So we began recording our songs .. and after producing twice the amount required, we began editing, touching, improving, and polishing until we finally had what we decided was THE correct album along with the label and here we can finally present to you .. a pure ball of furious… VENOM INC. power that left us feeling proud and excited at the same time…THIS album is now yours!!! And as the world runs through its evolution of its colors, remember… when the sun goes out…THERE’S ONLY BLACK!!!!! AVE”.

He also stated about how guitarist Mantas’s heart attack in 2019 affected the album:
“Well, Mantas died and saw only a black void that he thought was empty… So if life is just lights… what is there when all the light goes? There’s ONLY BLACK. So in order to disclose wat lies beyond, you must abate all fear and take the journey in. Welcome inside our album. Maybe you’ll discover something inside or perhaps for you, you won’t and there will remain ‘ONLY BLACK’..

Not all see the light“

“There’s Only Black” track listing:
01. How Many Can Die (03:21)
02. Infinitum (03:47)
03. Come To Me (03:46)
04. There’s Only Black (04:49)
05. Tyrant (05:25)
06. Don’t Feed Me Your Lies (05:51)
07. Man As God (03:23)
08. Burn Liar Burn (05:32)
09. Nine (03:34)
10. Rampant (04:06)
11. The Dance (04:54)
12. Inferno (05:19)

The follow-up to 2017’s “Avé”, “There’s Only Black” marks the second recording under the name VENOM INC., while Dunn and Dolan have a long history as recording artists together in VENOM, M:PIRE OF EVIL and Mantas solo projects. It also marks the VENOM INC. recording debut of drummer Jeramie “War Machine” Kling (also of IMHUMAN CONDITION), who joined the band in 2018.