VENOM INC. Recruits Drummer MARC 'JXN' JACKSON

VENOM INC. has recruited Marc "JXN" Jackson as the band's new drummer. Jackson was previously a member of M:PIRE OF EVIL, the group formed in 2010 by ex-VENOM and current VENOM INC. members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Tony "The Demolition Man" Dolan (bass, vocals).

In a new interview with Arrow Lords Of Metal, Tony stated about Marc's addition to VENOM INC.: "He was with us during the early days of M:PIRE OF EVIL. touring with us and recorded the 'Crucified' album, which was one of my fave albums I ever did."

Jackson joined VENOM INC. as the replacement for Jeramie Kling, who announced his departure from the band last November after a five-year run.

Kling, who is also a member of INHUMAN CONDITION, previously sat out VENOM INC.'s 2022 summer festival appearances at Alcatraz festival in Belgium and Bloodstock Open Air festival in the U.K. He was replaced at those shows by legendary British extreme metal drummer Nick Barker.

Back in 2018, VENOM INC. recruited Kling to fill in for Anthony "Abaddon" Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.

Dolan told Arrow Lords Of Metal about Abaddon's split from VENOM INC.: "I wanted him with us originally and Mantas was cautious, but I made a mistake assuming he'd grown and learned from his past. I also (mistakenly, as it seems) thought, at our age, the proficiency with playing and attitude to business would be simpler and easier as the mistakes and erroneous dealings that haunted his past would be gone, but I was very wrong. I still championed him, but in the end, I had to concede I'd failed in my faith in him. No one ever thought he was a great drummer, but a huge character. That was true and when starting and in your 20s that attitude of 'Who cares? Let's just make a noise' is great. But when you are closer to 60s and are still based in that skillset, with zero progression, it isn't workable for long. The demands of the music itself became obviously beyond his reach. Very disappointing, really, but it leaves it so that those shortcomings exposed didn't have fans screaming he should come back and especially following [Jeramie]."

Kling made his recording debut with VENOM INC. on the band's sophomore album, "There's Only Black", which was released in September 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2017's "Avé" marked the second recording under the name VENOM INC., while Dunn and Dolan have a long history as recording artists together in VENOM, M:PIRE OF EVIL and Mantas solo projects.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Mike Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.