It all started here. Before Mayhem, Emperor and Burzum terrorized Norway with a murder/suicide/arson spree while creating black metal’s infamous second wave, there was Venom. The U.K. trio’s essential 1982 album not only coined the genre’s name, but also laid the foundation for its sound and ethos. Though they were totally kidding about being Satanists, Venom’s music was no joke. Cavernous, raw and hellish, Black Metal influenced everyone from Metallica and Slayer to any black-metal band you’d care to name. J. Bennett