Mayhem
Daemon

There has never been a band as controversial as MAYHEM. Undoubtedly, there were moments when its members were sure everything was lost. Certainly, that feeling included the loss of Euronymous, or when the original singer, Dead, decided to take his own life. However, no event ever occurred that dissuaded those left behind from picking up the pieces and continuing to serve the dark lord. The importance of the band for Black Metal cannot be overstated because it was their style: those haunting riffs, corpse paint, and so much blood that helped them carve out a new genre from the foundations laid by predecessors like VENOM, BATHORY, and HELLHAMMER or CELTIC FROST. There are many bands with over thirty years of career in Extreme Metal, but few can claim it like MAYHEM. The band's new album is titled "Daemon" and was released in 2019 by Season of Mist.

The album gives a sense of immediacy and in a short time, you are completely enveloped by its dark and mystical spell. Of particular note, the bass performance is a true highlight for Necrobutcher, who finally makes his presence known by chasing the chord arpeggios strummed by Teloch and Ghul. It's as if every note he uses is the most sinister possible in the given key. The bass line is a deadly dance that deliberately scratches the boundary between this realm and the underworld. It follows "Agenda Ignis," during which Necrobutcher continues to occupy his attention with the bad bass lines he recites. His tone is gigantic with broad mids and a fuzzy haze above the lines, a very articulated sound perfect for showcasing his forward-thinking ideas. The third track, "Bad Blood," contains another example of solid bass playing where a new idea is introduced with the low end gaining its own following. Playing bass like this is the band's new secret weapon.

Attila must also be recognized for his senior role status. He has honed his part, becoming a complex intertwining of dark forces. His performance almost has a shamanistic quality as he hypnotizes with a fortuitous bodily performance.

Another highlight of the album is the fifth track, "Falsified and Hated," an exemplary specimen of Black Metal. The riffs are more frantic than ever and convey a myriad of feelings of fear and despair of desolation. The sporadic use of keyboards to color the sound in the more galloping sections is refreshing in the way it discreetly fills things. The next track, "Aeon Daemonium," is an excellent example of the strong architecture used in assembling these songs. The guitar performance is very tight, rhythmically precise but not mechanical. The layering of these strong riffs and wise use of transitions are once again the key ingredients of this stellar track. It is followed by "Worthless Abominations Destroyed," and it is also the first single of the album, an accurate snapshot of the macro forces at play.

The album is an overwhelming success on many levels. Firstly, it manages to demonstrate that the same mysteriously arcane magic that the band once cast in "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" is still alive and well in the ether from which the band draws its ideas. Furthermore, it's in how this magic is conveyed. MAYHEM has never sounded more like a band, a cohesive and engineered entity driven by the individual talent of every member. We have already seen how useful the bass lines have been, particularly in transitions. Finally, it anticipates the genre with a singular dystopic theme that runs through various song offerings. The songs are elevated to something that goes beyond collections of riffs and explosive rhythms. The band hasn't always been afraid to try new things, and it seems that this time they have really come together around their evident strengths: next-level guitar magic, a progressive approach to bass, thunderous percussion, and an otherworldly entity entirely in Attila.

MAYHEM, despite continuous touring, has managed to create a robust and memorable record. It contains its unique atmosphere that can be felt everywhere. In many ways, this is the best album I've heard in the last 2 years. My already elevated level of respect for the band has grown exponentially. This is a fantastic album!