Like 'em or not, Venom has had a profound impact on rock and metal in general. The band's first two albums, 1981's Welcome To Hell and 1982's Black Metal, are constantly cited as ones that were influential on countless bands. Metallica's Kirk Hammett tells the Toucher & Rich Show that he's absolutely a fan of Venom, though listening to them is a lot like watching a bad horror movie – it requires a certain state of mind.
"Love 'em. Maybe [they were super corny]… I don't know. Speaking very realistically and soberly, you know – why would I do something like that?
"With Venom, they're just like a bad horror movie. You suspend your disbelief, you lower your quality a little bit. And once you do that, you're in for a really great time. And that's how I see Venom."
Venom is currently fourteen albums deep into its career, so I think it's safe to say that plenty of people are a fan of this brand of "bad horror movie." I also don't think Hammett meant what he said maliciously, but instead meant that coming from a fan of horror flicks himself.
