Pitfest 2026 delivered one of the year's most historically resonant extreme metal performances on June 5 in Emmen, Netherlands. The occasion: the 45th anniversary of Welcome to Hell, the 1981 debut album by VENOM that, in many ways, planted the seeds for black metal, thrash metal, and extreme metal as a whole.
The lineup assembled for the set was a genuine event in itself. VENOM co-founders Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray (drums) were joined by David Vincent — the iconic vocalist and bassist who defined the classic era of MORBID ANGEL and later fronted I Am Morbid — handling vocal duties. The bass chair was filled by Blake "Bulldözer" Arendell of INTERCEPTOR, and Diva Satanica, known from BLOODHUNTER and her former stint with NERVOSA, shared vocal responsibilities.
The full setlist drew heavily from the classic VENOM catalog:
Witching Hour / Die Hard / Live Like an Angel (Die Like a Devil) / Welcome to Hell / Schizo / Angel Dust / One Thousand Days in Sodom / The Seven Gates of Hell / Buried Alive / Don't Burn the Witch / Poison / Countess Bathory
Fan-filmed footage of the complete performance has been circulating online for those who couldn't make it to Emmen.
The collaboration makes a certain visceral sense: Vincent's rawness and charisma are a natural fit for VENOM's primitive, confrontational material, and the connection to extreme metal's founding era is undeniable. Abaddon's thundering, stripped-down drumming remains as effective as ever on these tracks.
The group is not a one-time affair. Their next confirmed appearance is at Graspop Metal Meeting on June 21, 2026, one of Europe's premier heavy metal festivals held annually in Dessel, Belgium. Fans who missed Pitfest will have a prime opportunity to witness the performance in a major festival setting.