Iv decided to write this article on this particular band because of the impact this band made on the 2nd Wave of Black Metal, the most extreme subgenre of Heavy Metal and which was concieved in Norway and who were labeled as "Norwegian Black Metal" or "Norsk Arisk Black Metal" (which was around from 1989-1995). And not forgeting the impact they made on me many years back, when i found myself listening to the album "Wolf's Lair Abyss". A CD-R i borrowed from a friend, which is still with me today.
It wasnt easy getting into this band... as i was used to much less "noise" and it had only 5 tracks. counting the weird intro. But the more i listened to the album, the more it felt "right" as if it were the only thing iv been searching for in metal. I began to fall in love with this cd as i started to listen to this album day and night. It was an mp3 really. With "Wolf's Lair Abyss" and some other albums in it. I quickly made an Audio copy of it (Dont really know where THAT is). Anyways, i started searching for more information about this album through my friends who were into this type of music (i still didnt know the name of the band mind you). I didnt know who the hell the band were, where they were from or when exaclty this album was recorded. Nothing at all. All i had was "Wolf's Lair Abyss". After months and months of no luck i finally found out the name of this band and origin. A band called "Mayhem" from Norway. Well they certainly lived up to their name.
As time passed i began to recieve more and more information about "Mayhem". Murders and Satanic Rituals were among the various things i heard about them. After some time i familiarized myself with the Internet Downloading process. After scooting from school one morning i went to an Internet Cafe, 2 bus halts before the Dehiwala junc, and i downloaded an album entitled "De Mysteriis Dom Satanas" (which translates to "Lord satans' secret files". A book, which only one copy was rumoured to exist) which was recorded around 1992-1993. Quickly made an audio copy of it, got a printout of the track list and went home as i couldnt wait to listen to this album.
As i put "De Mysteriis Dom Satanas" into my discman and pressed the "Play" button (it was an old peice of shit, didnt have the "Auto-play" function) the haunting melodies and the blast beats of "Funeral Fog" fills the air. After about 1:30 minutes i begin to hear Attila Csihar's (i dont want to call it a Screach, more like a vomitish groan) vocals "
Every time this year, This dark fog will appear, Up from the tombs it comes, To take one more life that can be near". As the song continued, Hellhammer's drumming, Attila's Vocal capabilities started to impress me. Then began the 2nd song of the album "Freezing Moon". A slow/mid paced track (the slowest track on the album i think) which is joined by a blast beat after about 1:40 minutes, which is where is the vocals begin "
Everything here is so cold, Everything here is so dark, I remember it as from a dream, In the corner of this time"
. The blast beat continues till again when the song changes into a very slow pace riffing and drumming. Then comes Euronymous's solo, an undescriptive feeling rose inside me, as if blessing me with hope and despair simultaneously. Taking my spirit high into the atmosphere. As the solo ends Attila's "vomitish groans" could be heard.. "
Darkness is growing, The eternity opens, The cemetery lights up again, As in ancient times, Fallen souls die behind my steps, By following the freezing moon".. and the slow paced track suddenly shifts into a blast beat which takes us to the end of "Freezing Moon" and to the start off of "Cursed In Eternity". Another fast paced track which explores a very dark and gloomy atmosphere, "
My name was written with, Fire in the place you only can see, When your time has come, When you walk down in the, Land of shadows for eternity". Which brought me to the fourth track of the album, "Pagan Fears", as a familiar sound started to reach my ears, was trying to figure out why this song sounded really really familiar as iv never listened to this album before. After doing some research i got to know that the reason behind the familiarity is that i have listened to a cover version of this song done by Dark Funeral on their "Teach Children To Worship Satan" album before. This track flows in the same vein as the opening track of the album "Funeral Fog", starts with a catchy riff and beat. A Black Metal Classic without a doubt. The fifth track of the album "Life Eternal" opens up with a classic blast beat, which then blends into a mid paced beat. Euronymous's murder's (Varg's) Bass melodies could be heard very clearly at this point of the song. And ofcourse Dead's (Per Ygnve Ohlin) well written lyrics contribute to the haunting atmophere this song produced, "
I am a mortal, but am I human?, How beautiful life is now when my time has come, A human destiny, but nothing human inside, What will be left of me when I'm dead?, There was nothing when I lived". The 6th track of the album "From The Dark Past" opens with a mid paced guitar riff but is quickly shifted into a blast beat setting the mood for the song. Then the song suddenly rests on guitars and drums rolls here and there giving the song a very ambient touch and then shifting the song into a midpaced beat. Snorre Ruch's (Blackthorn) and Øystein Aarseth's (Euronymous) guitar work should be complimented here. Track #7 "Buried By Time And Dust" follows in the same vein as the opening track of the album "Funeral Fog". Another fast paced track which certainly lives up to their name. Hellhammer's talents are once again flaunted all over this track. The end of this track brings us to the title track, which is my favourite song from this album (Favourite Mayhem track ever??) and as many say the track which defines "Mayhem". As i heard the opening riffs on this song, the hair on my arm and neck began to rise. As the blast beat begins Attila's "vomitish groan" is heard, "
To the elder ruins again, The wind whispers beside the deep forest, Darkness will show us the way". Once again Mayhem manages to take you to another level, another level of consciousness and existance. Jan Axel's (Hellhammer) fast drumming, Euronymous's haunting guitar melodies, Attila's Groans blended with clean vocals, and lyrics which were based upon a satanic ritual which was being performed by a group of men, and Varg's bass guitar (which Hellhammer reduced the volume on the final product) contributed to a very sinister and thereputic final product with the duration of 6:22 minutes of therapy and pure mayhem. "
The books blood written pages open, Invoco Crentus Domini De Daemonium, We follow with our white eyes, The ceremonial proceeding, Rex Sacriticulus Mortifer, In the circle of stone coffins, We are standing with our black robes on, Holding the bowl with unholy water"
As the cd ended, i was left with a state of emptiness, Physically and Mentally numb. Unable to think or act for a few minutes i some how gathered energy and once again, pressed the button "play". Hypnosis all over again.
As time passed, i began researching about my new found "drug". What was the story behind this band who's music managed to inspire me and show me a new ray of hope? And after months of research Mayhem revealed its ugly history.....
Mayhem was formed in 1984 by guitarist Oystein Aarseth (who at that time had embraced the pseudonym "Destructor"), Jorn Stubberud (Necrobutcher) on Bass, Kjetil Manheim (Manheim) on Drums and Eirik Nordheim (Messiah) on vocals. The name "Mayhem" was taken off a track entitled "Mayhem with Mercy" by British black metal band Venom.
Around 1985 Demo cd "Pure Fucking Armagaddon" was recorded. Sven Erik Kristiansen (Maniac) joined Mayhem replaced Messiah on vocals. And demo's along with the EP "Deathcrush" was recorded.
Around 1987 both Maniac and Manheim had left Mayhem. And due to a failed suicide, Maniac got himself shipped off to a mental institute. After some time, Torben Grue and Kittil from Vomit joins the ranks of Mayhem for a short while.
1988 arrives as Mayhem recruites Hellhammer (Jan Axel) as Drummer and Dead(Per Yngve Ohlin), previously of Swedish death metal band "Morbid" to handle vocal duties. Dead was very melancholic by nature and was fascinated by death. According to Bard Eithun "He (Dead) wasn't a guy you could know very well. I think even the other guys in Mayhem didn't know him very well. He was hard to get close to. I met him two weeks before he died. I'd met him maybe six to eight times, all in all. He had lots of weird ideas. I remember Aarseth was talking about him and said he did not have any humour. He did, but it was very obscure. Honestly, I don't think he was enjoying living in this world." Dead was rumoured to bury his clothes underground months before shows and wear the decaying rags on stage, and he was also rumoured to carry around a dead animal in a plastic bag, which he inhaled everytime before going onstage. Around this time Mayhem started to live up to their name during their shows which had rotting pig heads on stakes in front of the stage, and Dead mutilating himself.
1990 arrives as the tracks "Freezing Moon" and "Carnage" are recorded for the CBR Compilation. This year also marks the recording of Mayhem's live concert "Live in Leipzig" which was recorded in Germany. And also Mayhem starts working on their first full length album, "De Mysteriis Dom Satanas"
On the 12th of April, 1991, Dead was found dead with slit wrists and a shotgun wound in his head in his apartment. A suicide note was found at the scene which simply read "Excuse all the blood". Euronymous who found the body had driven to Oslo to buy a disposable camera to photograph Dead's body. The picture was later used as the cover for the bootleg "Dawn Of The Black Hearts" which contained live auido tracks which were recorded at a gig in Sarpsborg in 1990 where Dead had to be rushed to a hospital after the show due to blood loss because he cut him self up with a broken glass badly, and tracks from a gig with their previous memeber, Maniac. Euronymous is also rumoured to have eaten a part Dead's brain and made necklaces out of Dead's skull fragments. Morgan S. Hakansson from Marduk and Tony Sarkka of Abruptum are rumoured to have peices of Dead's skull fragments.
The shotgun shells which were used in Dead's suicide were sent to him by Kristian Vikernes (aka Varg Vikernes, Count Grishnackh) of Burzum.
Around this time Occultus joins the band as vocalist and Necrobutcher leaves Mayhem, Leaving the Bassist slot empty.
1993 arrives as the bootleg "Live In Leipzig" is released and was dedicated to Dead. And the recording of "De Mysteriis Dom Satanas" begins as Attila joins Mayhem to undertake vocal responsibilities and Varg Vikernes fills the empty slot of Necrobutcher as Bass guitarist.
Euronymous is forced to close down his shop "Helvete" owing Varg Vikerness 30, 000 NOK( according to rumours). Which was argued in public on several occations.
On the 10th of August 1993, Euronymous is stabbed 23 times to the neck, head and back, which according to Varg, he got from falling on peices on broken glass from a lamp which was broken during the fight. And Varg himself states that Euronymous didnt die of blood loss, it was a shot to his skull that killed him.
Get to know what Varg says in his own words
HEREWith only the existance of just one member (Hellhammer), Mayhem ceased to exist.
"De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" is released, and is dedicated to Euronymous. The reason behind the delay of releasing the album was that Euronymous' parents demands that the album not feature bass parts by his murderer, Varg Vikernes. Hellhammer had promised to remove the bass parts but had not, instead he lowered the volume of the bass played by Vikernes on the final mix as he believed that the murderer and the victim should be together on this album. The cover of the album shows the Nidaros Cathedral which is considered the most significant church of Norway.
Around this time Hellhammer reforms Mayhem. With Blasphemer (Rune Erickson) from the band "Aura Noir" and their former members Maniac and Necrobutcher.
1996 arrives as Mayhem releases the "Freezing Moon" picture LP and the rehersal "Out From The Dark"
1997 marks the release of the 1st album with their new lineup "Wolf's Lair Abyss" (the first Mayhem album i listened to). And "Mediolanum Capta Est" bootleg was recorded during a live show in Milan with guest vocals by Maniac.
Nordgaren joins Mayhem as session rythem guitarist during "Mayhem Invades England" tour.
1998 arrives as "Ancient Skin/Necrolust" single is released. Nordgaren stays on during Mayhem rehearsals, later leaves Mayhem when he moves to England.
1999 arrives as the bootleg "Mediolanum Capta Est" is released. And also the year which marks the release of the Split 7" with Zyklon-B.
2000 marks the release of the album "Grand Declaration of War" which was influenced by Progressive elements and which was based on themes dealing with themes of war and post-apocalyptic destruction. Alot of electonic elements are included in this album as well.
2001 arrives as "European Legions: Live In Marseille" is released on VHS/DVD, also as limited edition CD. "European Legions" and "U.S. Legions" are released.
2002 arrives as a "Split 7inch w/ Meads Of Asphodel" is released, later released on CD with bonus tracks.
2004 marks the return of the band with yet another studio effort entitled "Chimera". Which showed signs of a return to the earlier raw style. Around this time Maniac is kicked out of Mayhem to be replaced with Attila.
2007 once again marks the release of "Ordo Ad Chao". A latin verse which simply translates to "Out of Chaos, Comes Order) often cited as the motto used in Freemasonry. It is the first Mayhem album to feature vocalist Attila Csihar since the 1994 release, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Ordo Ad Chao's production quality is very raw as the track "Illuminate Eliminate" is Mayhem's 2nd longest song ever.
The album charted at #12 in Norway, making it the band's highest charting album yet, and many consider it the band's greatest work since De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
Mayhem, as a band have come along way, as you can see. Iv found my self in countless descussions debating weather the new Mayhem album can be considered "tr00 kvlt Black Metal" or discussions debating the authenticity of their "Image". Debate all you want, I dont give a flying fuck anymore. Cause im one amongst millions of others who have been inspired by their music. And i dont care what anyone says, "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" never fails to give me that tingle in my skin i feel when i listen to it. Long live Dead! Long live Euronymous!
Long live Mayhem!I have added some albums reeased by Mayhem here for download. If you like the album, please support the artist by purchasing the cd. Enjoy.
Mayhem - 1987 - DeathcrushMayhem - 1994 - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Mayhem - 1995 - Dawn Of The Black Hearts [Live]Mayhem - 1997 - Wolf's Lair Abyss [EP]Mayhem - 2000 - Grand Declaration Of WarMayhem - 2001 - European Legions [Compilation]Mayhem - 2004 - ChimeraMayhem - 2007 - Ordo Ad ChaoLive In Marseille DVDRehearsal 1991 - Necrobutcher/HellhammerEuronymous/Dead
