Biography

Venomous Concept is an extreme metal and hardcore punk supergroup with ties to Brutal Truth, Napalm Death, the Melvins, Fantômas, and Nuclear Assault. The band has released five uncompromising studio albums including Poisoned Apple (2008), Kick Me Silly VCIII (2016), and Good Ship Lollipop (2023), since emerging in 2004. The group features a rotating cast of genre heavyweights, with Brutal Truth vocalist Kevin Sharp and Napalm Death guitarist Shane Embury as the sole constant members. Venomous Concept (the name is an homage to Oregon punk legends Poison Idea) was started by Kevin Sharp and Shane Embury in 2004. Sharp and Embury had bonded over beer, pizza, and their love of such punk icons as Black Flag and Poison Idea, and they were soon plotting their own assault on the style. The pair roped in Danny Lilker and Danny Herrera of Brutal Truth on bass and drums, respectively, and Buzz Osborne of the Melvins on guitar. Venomous Concept soon got a deal with Mike Patton's Ipecac Recordings, which, as the label of the Melvins, was an obvious choice. Their first album, 2004's Retroactive Abortion, was followed by a pair of split releases in 2006 (a set with Japanese grindcore band 324) and 2008 (a split with Blood Duster). Osborne eventually left the band, but Venomous Concept soldiered on, and in 2008 released their sophomore full-length, Poisoned Apple. Kick Me Silly: VC III, the band's third studio long-player and first outing for Season of Mist, appeared in 2016. The group combined no-holds-barred political commentary and satire on 2020's scathing Politics Versus the Election, which featured a lineup of core members Embury and Sharp, with Herrera on drums and John Cooke (Corrupt Moral Altar) handling guitar. Cancer drummer Carl Stokes joined Embury, Sharp, and Cooke on album number five, 2023's raw and unrelenting Good Ship Lollipop. ~ Chris True & James Christopher Monger, Rovi