Interview Beleth

September 2024

Warheads: Hi Curran, as new kid in the dark realm of Venom it’s time to get to know you a bit better. What are your roots in music and what made you pick up a guitar in the first place? 

Beleth: What made me pickup guitar was Metallica “One”, my cousin had a fender strat and the tablature for the song. He showed me how to read the tab and I figured out that I didn't need ANY musical talent to be able to learn how to play guitar. I didn't have to go do guitar lessons, and I didn't have to learn that god awful “Mel-Bay” F chord. I could just by these heavy metal tablature books and learn the songs I wanted to learn, and not be embarrassed at sucking on the guitar.

Warheads: Growing up, what were your first favorites in music (there are no guilty pleasures)? 

Beleth: Def Leppard, Bon Jovi were the two bands that really excited me when I was like 12-13. Those big rock hooks and chorus' you could sing along with were my introduction to “The Tribe”. From there when I discovered Metallica through MTV it was the beginning of heavy music for me. Then getting into bands like Anthrax, Megadeth, Testament, Van Halen (both Hagar and Roth).

Warheads: This year you stepped into the band, filling in for Mantas, who is recovering after his recent health scare. How did this happen? 

Beleth: I toured with Venom Inc in October of 2023. My death metal band 72 Legions was the opening band on the East Coast tour. Mantas had made the announcement about not doing the tour, due to his wife’s health battle. I asked my buddy Martin from Destruction, about reaching out to Tony to try and help keep the tour from being canceled. This was going to be 72 Legions 1st tour, and Mantas' announcement was only a few weeks before the tour was supposed to happen. Martin said Tony was cool as fuck and I should just reach out to offer to play to try and “save the tour”. So I messaged Tony through Facebook and just said if Venom Inc. hadn't the guitar player situation figured out for the tour, I would be more than happy to learn the songs and do double duty with my band and play for Venom Inc. It wasn't anything more than just wanting the tour not get shit-canned. It was not a money thing or “I can join Venom Inc. and be a fucking rock star” type thing, I just wanted the tour to happen for 72 Legions! Tony got back to me and was very grateful for the offer. He said he would send a set list for me to start working on and get me details about sorting out a rehearsal in Florida with the drummer. I couldn't wait for the setlist so I just hit YouTube and started learning the Hellfest set from 2023. I had about 11 of the songs figured out from that when Tony reached out and said they had Mike Hickey signed on for the tour. It was actually a HUGE relief for me, and I know Tony was going to be happy and comfortable with Mike. 

We did the tour and I was able to start a nice friendship with Tony through the tour. 72 Legions was the “bitch opener” but we had a great time and every band on that tour treated us very well. No one was shitty to us as the opener. After the tour Tony and I stayed in touch, I was asking for his help and advice about 72 Legions, and getting my band built up properly to sign with a good label like Napalm records or Nuclear Blast records. Then a few months later Tony reached out to ask if I would be willing, able or interested in filling in for Mantas on a couple of shows. I told him it would be very fun and I was absolutely happy to come in and riff for Venom Inc. 
And then Mantas had his heart attack! It went from just a couple little “one-off's” covering for shows Mantas couldn't commit to, to my 1st show in Indonesia, South America, and just recently playing some summer festivals in Europe that put me in front of 500,000 people at Pol-and-Rock! 

This has been an absolute blast and so fun, I am working to make sure these classic songs are played right and that the new Venom Inc music is represented properly for Mantas and Tony. 

Warheads: Were you already familiar Venom Inc since the official start in 2015 and did you expect to ever be in this format? 

Beleth: I was not familiar with Venom Inc until I got the tour offer for 72 Legions, I knew about Venom from being a huge Metallica fan. So when I got the Venom Inc tour offer I went out and listened to both Venom Inc, and Satan. Ringworm is actually from the same area as 72 Legions so I already knew what those bad ass guys are all about. I never in a million years would have thought I would be getting to play these riffs and throw notes with Venom Inc. I am having a blast and a great time getting to work with Tony and JXN. I like keeping the notes warm for Mantas, and watching the Venom Inc fans get crazy with me at these shows!

Warheads: How would you describe your learning of material of the band, having to re-learn classic Venom and now also the very powerful Venom Inc material? Was it hard to learn the songs in the set, with some deep cuts in there too? 

Beleth: Oh yeah, learning 38 songs of classic material AND the newer music was very intense. I live in the US, Tony and JXN are in the UK. So I went through every song and worked stuff out as best I could from the records by ear. I also had Tony show me parts through video chat that I was definitely playing wrong. Then I went through hundreds of live videos of Venom Inc on tour and at festivals. I went through and really referenced what Mantas is doing live. Mantas definitely does some killer new solo's on some of those classics and I felt like the smart move would be to embrace that, so that Tony and JXN would not be “thrown” by this different guitar guy. 

The real challenge with the classic songs and the Venom Inc music is the fact that the band has a very real “swing” to how the music is played. I come from an extremely “stiff” or “sharp” approach to playing guitar. I learned almost every Metallica song éver, and playing guitar in Annihilator, and Nevermore was super tight and rigid. Jeff Loomis and I would both pick in the same direction on every riff and part to keep it air tight and Jeff Waters was a lunatic with meter and timing. Mantas has a swinging flow, and groove that made me have to really relax my playing style. Playing the songs super crazy tight made everything sound WRONG. It was the weirdest thing for me, but Tony really showed me and helped me understand what I call the  “Venom Inc. Swing”. It is not sloppy, loose, or messy; it is a slippery swing. It is hard to explain, but when I get that swing working, man-o-man does it crush.

Warheads: Any special favorites already in the current Venom Inc live set? Or, any wishes for a future setlist? 

Beleth: Well the classics are so fun to play, the fans go absolutely bat-shit crazy. I really love the newer songs from ‘Ave’ and ‘There's Only Black’. ‘Inferno’ crushes live, ‘There's Only Black’ the song is a blast to play live, all those riffs and solo's I get to throw in that tune are great. I want to get ‘Ave’ in the live set, but that one would need real rehearsal together as a band to go through all the parts and make sure I am on point. There are so many killer tunes in the catalog, ‘Prime Evil’ is another one that would be cool to make happen, I really should just go and learn every fucking song...

Warheads: The three of you seem to have a good chemistry on stage, performing strong and with enthusiasm. Any comments on that? 

Beleth: I agree, I have always been a bit of a wild man on stage, I love to play live and I think I have even more fun than the fans at the shows. It is such a blast, and really a privilege to be on the stage playing for Venom Inc fans. I will always treat that with the huge respect that it deserves. The other side of that is Tony and JxN, there is a nice vibe on and off the stage. I feel like I really fell into step with them right away at the very 1st show in Indonesia, and have just kept getting smoother and groovier with them as we play more shows together. There is nothing egotistical or “rock -star” happening between us, I am approaching every show as the single most important moment right NOW. I tell Tony and JXN that if they hear something wrong or off to tell me right away. I want to music to be correct and proper for the fans of Venom Inc. They deserve it, and I don't want to cheat 
them in anyway.

Warheads: It is more and more known and confirmed that this band carries the true spirit of performing and creating Venom music. Would you agree? 

Beleth: oh yeah, this is absolutely true. I love to play live and to tour. I joke with Tony every time he talks about a potential tour or string of shows he wants to book. I always tell him I am already packed and at the airport. LET'S GO!

Warheads: What would you like to see happen for Venom Inc? 

Beleth: That is easy AND hard for me to say. For me, I don't want this adventure to end, I want to tour the world guitar getting to play for Venom Inc. I want to hit Asia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, I want to go to Mexico, Central America, maybe get back to South America again, Smash a couple months of touring in Europe, go and beat the shit out of America and Canada for a few months. It would be super fucking cool to get to keep playing for Venom Inc and these fans, I am addicted to how cool and welcoming every fan has been to me. I want to see Mantas get healthy and come back shredding and swinging notes like the legendary badass he is, I want Venom Inc to put out killer records that make fans lose their minds, I only want the very best and most fun for Venom Inc, Tony, JXN, Mantas, and especially for each and every fan that loves Venom Inc and all this incredible music they play. I am thrilled and proud to be here and get to be a part of what Venom Inc is.

Warheads: Anything else you would like us Warheads to know? 

Beleth: From the bottom of my heart and top of my soul, I want to say thank you to all the Venom Inc fans. Not one person has given me shit or been a dick to me. Every single fan online and in person that I have seen or dealt with has been cool as fuck. Thank you!

And with these kind words from Beleth we thank him for all he already did for the band and there is lots more to follow, give the news of the Newcastle show in December and a an huge tour in early 2025. Lots of work to do and he is more that ready! So we officially bid Beleth a warm Welcome To Hell!