VENOM INC.'s TONY DOLAN Reacts To Public Accusations From MANTAS: 'They All Blame Me For Their Own Demise'

Summary

• Tony Dolan says Mantas left VENOM INC. without warning, while blaming Dolan for the band’s collapse.
• Despite personal support during Mantas’s health issues, Dolan says there’s ’no chance’ of a reunion.
• Dolan continues with VENOM INC. alongside guitarist Curran Murphy, focused on music, not past drama.

Tony Dolan is setting the record straight.

The bassist and vocalist of VENOM INC. recently addressed his fallout with guitarist Jeff “Mantas” Dunn, who officially left the band in late 2023.

In a new interview (via Soundterror), Dolan said he feels unfairly blamed for the breakdown of the group.

“They all blame me for their own demise,” Dolan said. “I’m just doing what we set out to do, and I haven’t changed my mantra.”

The situation began after Mantas suffered two heart attacks and decided to stop touring. Dolan said he was left with little choice but to continue the band’s work.

“I had an album due with Nuclear Blast and live shows already booked,” Dolan explained. “So I asked Curran Murphy [ex-ANNIHILATOR, NEVERMORE] to step in on guitar. The idea was that Mantas would recover and come back. But he never did.”

Breakdown in communication

According to Dolan, Mantas stopped responding to messages and postponed conversations several times. Despite this, Dolan said he kept holding out hope.

“I even sent him a list of U.S. tour dates and told him, ‘You can just play a few, like New York, and fly back home.’ But he wouldn’t commit,” Dolan said.

Then, Dolan says, Mantas began releasing new music and videos on his own. Meanwhile, Dolan was still telling the press he was waiting for his bandmate to return.

“I felt blindsided,” he said. “And then he turns around and says I’m the problem?”

No reunion on the horizon

The rift appears to be permanent. When asked whether a reunion could happen in the future, Dolan said, “Not now. He said too many bad things about me that aren’t true.”

This isn’t the first time Dolan has dealt with internal conflict. He recalled financial struggles during his time with the original VENOM, claiming he didn’t receive payment for tours or publishing rights.

“Even now, when I play VENOM songs, I don’t get the royalties,” he said. “They do. But I still play them because I love the music.”

Support despite the split

Despite the public feud, Dolan says he still has personal affection for Mantas.

“When he nearly died, I was there. I helped him and his wife. I don’t stop loving someone overnight,” he said. “I just can’t work with him anymore.”

Dolan also touched on his past decision to bring original drummer Antony “Abaddon” Bray back into VENOM INC., something Mantas had advised against. That reunion didn’t last either.

“I thought he’d changed,” Dolan said of Bray. “But in the end, he walked away too, and blamed me.”

Looking ahead

Dolan said he’s focused on moving forward without drama. With Mantas out and Curran Murphy now handling guitar duties full-time, VENOM INC. continues to tour and record.

“I’m much happier not being oppressed by them,” he said. “I just want to play music and enjoy what I do.”

VENOM INC. is a separate entity from VENOM, the band still fronted by Conrad “Cronos” Lant. Both groups continue to perform and release new material.

Check out the full interview 👇

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