Mayhem Albums (13)
'European Legions'
Release Date 5/10/2005
Tracks 12
Label Season of Mist
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What The Critics Say
Frankly, there's a reason why Norwegian death metal pioneers Mayhem are better known for their often shocking offstage history than for their music. It's hard to compete with tales of murder, cannibalism, and other sordid diversions. And people thought the Sex Pistols were shocking! That said, Chimera is a far better than average slab of Scandinavian death metal that harks back to the band's classic lineup, who are now mostly either dead or in jail. Singer Maniac varies the attack of his death growl vocals, varying the pitch from the monotonous low-register moan that many lesser bands in the style stick to; unexpected attacks like the falsetto shriek in the verses of the piledriving hardcore opener "Whore" and the almost pagan chanting that overlays the extended coda of "My Death." As always, the band plays faster, harder, and louder -- and with a greater attention to sonic detail -- than just about anyone in the style, but the expanded scope and variation of Chimera shows that in the right hands, there's more to this often-maligned music than its detractors give it credit for. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Legions of War'
Release Date 4/22/2003
Tracks 25
Label Season Mist America
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'Grand Declaration of War'
Release Date 6/6/2000
Tracks 13
Label Necropolis
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What The Critics Say
Truth be told, the vast majority of death metal artists are no more harmful than Vincent Price and Edgar Allen Poe were; they might be fascinated with the dark side and talk about it convincingly, but they aren't really living the evil they focus on. Mayhem, however, is another matter; its members took their obsession with evil and darkness to the extreme in the 1990s, when a murder, a suicide, an act of cannibalism, and a variety of satanic, anti-Christian activity all became part of the Norwegian headbangers' disturbing history. Not surprisingly, Mayhem is extremely controversial and has received a great deal of bad publicity in Europe, which hasn't prevented it from maintaining a loyal cult following. If anything, all that negative publicity has helped Mayhem sell albums; in some cases, people who aren't necessarily big death metal fans have bought their albums out of morbid curiosity (just as some of the people who went out and bought 2Pac Shakur's albums after his murder weren't necessarily big gangsta rap fans -- they just wanted to hear what all of the fuss was about). Mayhem's infamous history, however, shouldn't obscure the fact that it is one of the best bands in the death metal field. Personnel changes and all, Mayhem has outdone itself with the epic Grand Declaration of War, which could arguably be described as death metal's equivalent of Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime. This isn't to say that Mayhem sounds anything at all like Queensryche, only that this conceptual album is a lot more elaborate, musical, challenging, and complex than a death metal release would ordinarily be. With Grand Declaration of War, you won't be picking out your favorite tracks; this CD must be approached as a single body of work, and to fully appreciate it, one needs to listen to it from start to finish without interruption. Grand Declaration of War won't appeal to anyone with a short attention span, but for those who can sit down and really give this CD their undivided attention, the rewards are great. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wolf's Lair Abyss symbolizes two major steps for Mayhem: First, the return of vocalist Maniac, who contributed to 1987's Deathcrush EP before being replaced by the soon-to-be-dead Dead (who was followed by session vocalist Attila Csihar for black metal benchmark De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas). Secondly, it's notable within the group's dodgy, blood-specked catalog as its first effort since the death of founding member and guitarist Euronymous, here replaced by the aptly named Blasphemer. Not surprisingly, longtime fans had reason to be skeptical with regards to Mayhem's reformation, Wolf's Lair Abyss featuring only two founding members in drummer Hellhammer and bassist Necrobutcher -- but this five-tracker remains true to the subcutaneous sensibilities the band helped define in the late 1980s and early 1990s, while simultaneously kicking the songwriting and production up a notch. Thankfully, Maniac adds credibility and his share of inspired moments to Wolf's Lair Abyss by drenching his performance in the "necro" aesthetic of Norse black metal lore, his retching toeing the line between truly frightening and humorous (like any good death-gargler does, actually), often sounding like his extremities are being fed to a wood chipper. "I Am Thy Labyrinth" and "Symbols of Bloodswords" boast complex, lengthy arrangements armed with icy melodies, the guitars hissing and rattling like dentist drills over Hellhammer's ever-impressive blasting percussion battery. More importantly, such epics show a relatively sophisticated and creative step forward for Mayhem, pointing a scaly digit toward the left-field, artsy (and often strange) approach the band would take with full-length studio follow-up Grand Declaration of War. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
'Live in Leipzig'
Release Date 9/23/1997
Tracks 9
Label Century Media
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What The Critics Say
Live in Leipzig is a soundboard recording of a 1991 Mayhem gig; it captures the group's classic lineup intact, before suicide felled vocalist Dead, and bassist Varg Vikernes murdered guitarist Euronymous. With a shortage of official Mayhem material featuring this lineup, it's a necessary item for devoted fans, even in spite of the less-than-ideal sound quality. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
