In 1979 a dark formation occurred, a black ripple that would soon become a wave: one which made a huge impact on the metal world. Taking the name of Mantas, the legendary guitarist Jeff Dunn formed an outfit that rivalled the stage shows of bands such as Kiss and challenged the occult themes that Black Sabbath had pioneered. He took the knife edge that had made Judas Priest dangerous and the volume that had made Motörhead so intense, and rolled it into a big, black dirtball called Venom.
With renewed hunger and inspiration, Mantas joined up with the Demolition Man, bassist/vocalist Tony Dolan, in 1988. The duo penned Prime Evil, an album hailed as a return to form with its cleaner sound and the mighty vocal attack of Dolan. After Demolition Man’s exit in 1992, drummer Antton (Antony Lant) took up the sticks for the powerful Resurrection album, after which Mantas departed from Venom.
In 2010 Mantas’s work with his own band, Dryll, seemed to be paying dividends, and following his drummer’s departure, Antton – who played in his own outfit, Def Con One – joined Dryll. It didn’t take long before the mutterings began. What if Mantas and Antton could coax The Demolition Man back? The call went out – and in came Dolan once more...
The trio decided that they needed to produce something befitting of their musical prowess. Something unashamedly heavy and without restraint; free of ego, deception and unreasonable behaviour – and fulfilling for them as musicians.
The band’s die-hard fans were left to chose a name for the new group, as it was they who had pushed for the new group to form. Naturally, in hindsight, Prime Evil was the name they chose – and so the band were free to make the music that they had always wanted to make, without pretending that it was 1982 all over again. After announcing themselves to the world the band were asked to reconsider the chosen name out of respect for another act who had named themselves after the self same Venom album title. Without hesitation and with understanding and the respect to be expected by this honorable trio, they changed their name…….and so to the future…….
This is M-PIRE of EVIL. This is Mantas, Antton and the Demolition Man. This is 2011.
Hell is coming to the holy.