The True MAYHEM: Alive in New York City
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| [Legendary Norwegian Black metal band MAYHEM takes the stage at Irving Plaza.] |
Fall: my favorite season is finally upon us. While others
may see the changing leaves as an omen of gloom – the descent of nature in
preparation for the big freeze – I welcome the crisp air and biting cold with
open arms. For metalheads, fall also creates the perfect atmosphere for the
eeriest and by far most evil style of extreme music: black metal. No band
typifies the mystique surrounding this subgenre more than Norwegian black metal
legends MAYHEM. Recently, I had the extremely fortunate opportunity to witness
this group play their infamous debut album De
Mysteriis Dom Sathanas in its entirety as part of their North American
fall/winter tour. It was a chilling experience. Follow me into the depths of a
cold New York City on a frozen December evening…
[author's note: the following paragraphs delve into the history of Mayhem as a band. It does not have anything to do with the concert review. I may, at a future date, use this material for another piece. If you wish to spare yourself the details, scroll down to the section titled "review."]
Mayhem may just be the most evil band in the world. Their
music, shrouded in dark atmosphere and foggy production, can be considered the
cornerstone of the Norwegian Black metal scene, thus setting the stage for the
expansive subgenre that exists today. However, much of the notoriety
surrounding the group stems from the history of the band instead of the music itself. Their talented yet distant vocalist, known
simply as “Dead”, committed suicide via shotgun in April of 1991. Though his
motivations remain unknown, the aftermath is not a secret: when guitarist and
songwriter Euronymous discovered his bandmate’s body, he bought a disposable
camera to take photographs of the corpse before alerting the police. Euronymous
was intent on using this incident to help bolster Mayhem’s evil image. Rumors
swirled that he even picked up pieces of Dead’s shattered skull and mailed them
to the “truest” members of the burgeoning Norwegian black metal scene. Though
few will confirm this fact, the myth of Mayhem began to spread like wildfire. Soon enough Mayhem and their
ambitious songwriter, Euronymous, were beginning to attract a small following at his record store in Oslo, Norway.
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| [The classic Mayhem lineup: Jørn "Necrobutcher" Stubberud, Øystein "Euronymous" Aarseth , Per "Dead" Ohlin, and Jan "Hellhammer" Blomberg.] |
Mayhem's obsession with all things demonic and evil was propelled forward
through not only their music but through criminal deeds as well. Other members
of this small scene (which include groups such as Emperor, Burzum and Hades) participated in the arson of half a dozen churches – symbolic
destruction of what they believed to be a repressive, idealistic Christian
society. That’s right – these guys burned thousand-year-old wooden stave churches to the ground. However,
this notoriety came quickly to a fiery conclusion. In the summer of 1993, Euronymous was brutally
stabbed to death by Mayhem bassist Varg Vikernes (also of Norwegian black metal
project Burzum). The discovery of “satanists” and church-burners in the
peaceful city of Oslo rocked the quiet country of Norway and caused a media
frenzy that even reached mainstream news in the USA. This whirlwind of fire,
violence, and media coverage consumed the youthful band and they were
effectively lost. Within two short years, Mayhem had lost their vocalist to
suicide and lead guitarist and songwriter to murder – their bassist behind bars
for the slaying. In early May 1994, Vikernes was convicted of murder and church
arson and was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Later that month, Mayhem finally released their debut studio album De Mysteriis
Dom Sathanas – complete with Vikernes on bass and his victim on guitar. The album was dedicated to Euronymous.
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| An old Deathlike Silence logo featuring the classic "No Mosh, No Trends." Euronymous even dismissed the pleasure-seeking doctrine of the Church of Satan (lead by Anton Lavey, center) as "too happy." |
Mayhem has released several full length albums since these
events, however none have been able to come close to capturing the evil and
“true-ness” of what was recorded in Norway in the early 1990’s. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas stands as a
testament to the valiant yet failed efforts of a small, isolated group of
musicians to rebel and destroy conceptions of “mainstream” heavy metal music.
In fact, this notion of rebellion and dismissal of mainstream metal is perhaps
more important than every word of Mayhem personnel gossip and gory lore. Members of the “black metal inner circle” rejected mainstream ideas in metal music : they despised colorful album covers, musicians who wore gym shorts, and bands who toned down the heaviness to achieve widespread acclaim. Euronymous and founding member and bassist Necrobutcher originally founded
Mayhem in reaction to the publicity that heavy metal music was receiving from
mainstream media circuits. In the eyes of these young musicians, metal wasn’t
meant for the masses. Instead, extreme music was to be preserved only for those
“true” enough to listen – those committed to the ideals of darkness and evil.
Euronymous created his record label Deathlike Silence Productions around this idea. He would only promote groups who were decidedly anti-trend. The catalog number that Euronymous
chose for his label (ANTI-MOSH – DMDS
is labeled ANTI-MOSH 006, for example) is equally fitting – a direct contrast
to the catalog number (MOSH) used by Earache records who promoted many mainstream
metal bands such as Morbid Angel. Deathlike Silence was short lived but the
message was very clear: this record label was born to represent anti-happiness,
anti- trend, and very nearly anti-metal.
Mayhem’s later albums don’t break this
mold in any way, and they are not throwaways by any means. However, DMDS is the only true Mayhem album in
that the craft of Euronymous still remains present – even if his slayer plays
bass alongside him on the recording. These days, Mayhem tour cycles are few and
far between. When they do play live, however, the performance is spectacular.
The band hosts a De Mysteriis Dom
Sathanas ritual in which they play their 45 minute, 8 track debut album in
its entirety and leave.
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| [Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim, Norway) appears on the cover of DMDS. Allegedly, the 900 year old church was to be burnt down to coincide with the release of the album.] |
Review:
Even knowing what to expect, I could not contain the anticipation inside me as I rallied myself and my good friends Luke and James to head town to New York City to see the ritual performed live at Irving Plaza. Irving Plaza is an awesome venue for metal music. I have
visited just once before – this past February – to see the Metal Blade 35th
anniversary tour with Whitechapel and Cattle Decapitation. Even after taking a steel-toe boot to the forehead I was left with a totally positive
impression. The bars are abundant and well-stocked, the bathrooms are
expansive, and the merch area is large – meaning that the venue can accommodate
extremely large spreads of t-shirts, hoodies, and other awesome doo-dads. I was
very happy that I secured my ticket in time, because shortly after doors opened
the show was sold out. The block-long line disappeared quickly.
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| [Death metal veterans Immolation rip through a searing set of death metal.] |
I have primarily focused on the mystique of Mayhem up to this point and I will continue to do so. However, I would be embarrassingly remiss if I failed to mention the brutal death metal display put on by Immolation. I have never delved deeply into the back catalog of these New York death metal giants, but their latest record Atonement is an absolute beast and may just be my favorite release of 2017. As such, I was very happy to catch them promoting this album on the tour with Mayhem. Their death metal sound is sludgy, low-tuned, and dark – the perfect warm-up groove for the demonic sounds to come later. Immolation ripped onto the stage with the first two tracks off of Atonement: “The Distorting Light” and “When the Jackals Come” - boh
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Immolation may have put on an excellent show, but there was
only one reason we all stood in that sold out venue: Mayhem. This was one of
the most unique concerts I have ever been to for several reasons. Right off of
the bat, the concept is something completely original to me and, I assume, to
many others in the crowd that night. Most concert-goers are familiar with the
concept of a band playing an album in its entirety – if you haven’t been to
a show like this, I’m sure you’ve heard of at least one or two. When this happens these days a band is most likely promoting their newest album
(see Insomnium Winter’s Gate and
Behemoth The Satanist tours.) A band
decides to rip through their newest, freshest work which still leaves room for
many surprises for the audience – especially if many in attendance had not yet heard
the new work. You would hear new songs, new solos, and even some classic gems
thrown into the mix, creating an unpredictable setlist for each night. In the
case of a DMDS ritual, however, the
situation is completely the opposite. Everyone in the audience knows exactly
what to expect – it hasn’t changed since 1994. There will be no improvisation
or deviation from the original album at all. This was truly a rare night. The house lights began to dim down and immediately hundreds of glowing cell phones are lofted to
the sky in attempt to catch the entrance on video. Quickly, as if tapped on
cue, a pre-recorded message from the band plays over the speakers asking the courtesy
of the audience in keeping their cell phones pocketed for the show so as to “preserve
the atmosphere.” I love the intention here, and it makes perfect sense. The show
is meant to be an experience, after all. In addition, any true Mayhem fan is
well aware of the bands aversion of publicity. However, few listen and several
phones remain held high. I am sure they deal with this every night – hence
having a message in the first place.
Suddenly, the room is plunged into complete darkness. Soft purple
lights slowly leak out to reveal a barren stage – empty but for the fog slowly
making its way over the crowd. Hellhammer takes his seat behind the drumset to
a deafening roar of applause, followed closely by the three guitarists all of
whom wear long, hooded black cloaks. It is so dark. Before anyone can make out
all of the instrumentalists on the stage, blinding white strobe lights blink to
life and, in an instant, the band is off into the blisteringly fast opening track
“Funeral Fog.” What a way to start a show, and an album for that matter. All
instrumentalists are picking and sticking at breakneck speeds. Stage right is
Teloch, lead guitarist and member since 2011. He wears a ghoulish spackling of
ash gray and white corpse paint, face barely visible beneath his large black
hood. Stage left stand bassist and original member Necrobutcher, who squats low
as his thunderous bass shakes the room. To his left is Ghul, guitarist and
member since 2012. Twenty year member and influential metal drummer Hellhammer
presides above this unholy congregation from his drum set, long black hair
flying viciously to the tempo of his legendary blast beats. Lead vocalist
Attilla, whose voice is found on the original recording of DMDS, arrives just in time to deliver some of his trademark vocals
– a throaty, guttural drawl that beckons the eardrums to the grave. He sports a
tattered black robe with ornate gray and gray-er cuffs and seams, along with a
giant golden inverted cross. As he writhes and contorts about on stage,purple and blue lights shine up on the members
from underneath giving them long, arched shadows that stretch up to the
ceiling of the venue.
After this track finishes, the crowd roars for the start
of Mayhem’s epic, “Freezing Moon.” As if the atmosphere wasn’t eerie enough,
the band begins “Freezing Moon”
with the famous snippet of former vocalist Dead
beginning the same song from the album Live
in Leipzig – an introduction from the grave. As the first haunting cords
rang out, I noticed for the first time that a huge mosh pit had erupted in the
center of the crowd. I was at once enamored and confused. Everyone who has seen
a show with me knows that I love a good mosh. However, I had legitimately
expected very little moshing at this show, due mainly to the Mayhem aesthetic
and well-known aversion of all things metal and trendy (such as moshing.) I
expected that the crowd would be more aligned to this image, and was surprised
that the pit did not die down but continued to whirl track after track. The
music progressed beautifully, yet the idea of a mosh pit at a Mayhem show began
to befuddle me more and more. At the beginning of the classic track “Life
Eternal”, it seemed to me that Necrobutcher may have been feeling the same way.
“Life Eternal” is a slower and slightly more atmospheric track than others on DMDS. It's also got a haunting backstory – it’s unpublished lyrics were left alongside Dead's suicide note. With this in mind, “Life Eternal” is not
just an incredible song: it acts as a form of remembrance for the fallen
members of Mayhem. During the guitar
intro, Necrobutcher stands tall and, with the crowd’s attention, raises and
lowers his arm slowly as if to say “Shhhh! Hey, calm down everyone! We’re
trying to do something here!” Was Necrobutcher trying to rally the crowd to
become watchers instead of moshers? I can’t be sure. However, I can understand
his intentions. I might have reacted similarly if I felt people were paying too
much attention playing grab-ass in a mosh pit instead of watching my band
perform.
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| [Teloch and Attila haunt the crowd at Irving Plaza.] |
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| [Attila and his altar.] |
Regardless of what the crowd was getting into,
the stage show progressed brilliantly. Teloch’s soloing was a perfect replica
of Euronymous’s sloppy, unrehearsed guitar drawls found on the original
recording. Attila’s vocals were also beyond anything I expected – his creepy,
dissonant highs and shocking lows sounded even better than they do on DMDS. For the closer and title track,
Attila even performs an operatic section which was at once chilling and
fantastic. During this final song, Attila performs from behind an altar at
center stage. To his left and right are candles and directly in front of him is
a human skull. He belts out the ghastly tune while swaying a puffing incense
censer back and forth, back and forth, as if hypnotizing the crowd. Eventually
he walks to the front of the stage with the skull and microphone in the same
hand, howling his vocals directly into the skull itself. The show ends with a
flash of purple lights and a puff of smoke. Mayhem is gone as quickly as they
came.
Knowing exactly when the show was going to end was a huge plus. With the knowledge that there would be no encore, we jetted out
of Irving Plaza, down 15th St, and into the labyrinthine subway
station to catch a rail back home. Unbelievably, we were riding the 4 train to
Grand Central station just six minutes after we had left the venue. With my
trusty knapsack lashed to my back, I smiled at the image of the enormous coat
check line at that very moment. After a quick pit stop at the street vendor
outside GC terminal (a God send) we departed on our Metro North train without
incident. On our long ride back, my mind was spinning with the ironies and
contradictions I had witnessed at the show tonight. There was moshing at a
Mayhem show? Did Necrobutcher (or any other member, for that matter) have a
problem with that? And what’s with the cell phones? Why did so many people feel
the need to document with technology instead of their minds? I found myself
profoundly confused. I had truly enjoyed the show, that is no doubt. But did
others enjoy it in the same way I did? Do the Mayhem members wish the crowd
acted differently? This is certaintly a possibility. In reality, a lot of what
transpired at Irving Plaza was in direct opposition to the original intent of
Mayehm: the crowd screamed and cheered for a band that used to seek to repulse
fans with displays of blood and gore on stage. While many stood silently and
let their souls be taken away by the eerie music, many also ignored the show
and chose to focus on moshing or recording. I just have to point out that the bar was even serving Mayhem themed drinks that night, Now, I know what many are thinking:
if this many people are so enthralled Mayhem, they should be happy! Isn’t the
point of any band to become famous and well known? To spread your music
to the
world? Actually, in the case of Mayhem, the original intention was the complete opposite. Euronymous once said
that Mayhem’s debut EP Deathcrush was
only to be given to a small number if individuals he deemed “worthy of hearing
it.” Now, Deathcrush can be accessed
by anyone who knows how to work YouTube. They were simply musicians doing what musicians do - rebel. They wanted no fame, no acclaim, because they simply wanted to be making black metal. Would Euronymous have wanted thousands
of people filming shows of his band? I will not say, for that would be
impossible to determine with any degree of cetainty. I do, however, have a mental image of his face after hearing someone order "one Deathcrush, add lime" - he's not smiling. In any case it is clear
to this fan that the modern conception of a Mayhem concert is obviously at odds
with the original intention of the band. That being said, this is an opinion of a fan who knows a bit of the history behind the evolution of black metal as a musical genre. To the listener and watcher, my Mayhem experience was an absolute spectacle. Because most of black metal is characterized by "necro" (poor) production, live music created some of the best sounding Mayhem tunes I have ever heard. The behavior of the band members is theatircal - aloof, but aware they are being watched intently. The theatrics are far from corny. Some moments of this concert, such as Atilla screaming into the skull, were legitimately frightening. I would highly
recommend a Mayhem show to anyone –
metal fan or not. The atmosphere, instrumentation, and overall theatric display
is unparalleled. If you are fortunate to have Mayhem pass through your town, do
not miss it. My advice? Stand still, close your eyes and follow the freezing
moon.
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| [Mayhem themed drinks?] |
