VENOM PRISON

From challenging gender conceptions to confronting death, racism and the refugee crisis, they’re refusing to let mainstream recognition dampen their message

WORDS: ALEC CHILLINGWORTH

PICTURES: GOBINDER JHITTA

Larissa Stupar is doing all right. She’s about to release another shit-hot record with Venom Prison, has just got married to the love of her life, and is expecting a baby boy in MarchIt’s all a bit wholesome.

“When I announced my pregnancy on Instagram, someone commented, ‘Uterine Industrialisation’, which is one of our songtitles,” the vocalist says. Ah.“I just replied, ‘Thanks for comparing me to a birthing machine. Very kind of you.’ The person deleted it and commented again, just saying, ‘Congratulations.’”

People get pregnant all the time. Half the human population is female, and as the Bloodhound Gang so profoundly spake, we ain’t nothin’ but mammals. But matey boy from Cannibal Corpse isn’t carrying a foetus around for nine months. Danzig doesn’t breastfeed, as far as we know. When male bandmembers become parents, they’ll probably miss a show or two. Then they’re back on the road.

“I don’t think this should be treated any differently because I’m a woman,” Larissa adds.“We just don’t see this very often within metal bands because there aren’t that many women. We’re going to have to take some time off, but we still want to make Download festival possible. It means something to us as a band, me as part of the band, and me as a mother. Venom Prison is part of who I am, and I’m not ready to give it up.”