Mayhem

Mayhem was formed in 1983 in Oslo (Norway) by Euronymous (guitar), Necrobutcher (bass) and Manheim (battery). Considered pioneers of the second wave of Black Metal, they derive their influence from Celtic Frost, Venom and Bathory among others. The origin of the band's name is also inspired by Venom's song Mayhem with Mercy. They did their first concert in 1985, with a certain Messiah as a singer. In 1986, they released their first two demos: Pure Fucking Armageddon and Voice Of A Tortured Skill. The sound is already quite unique and very dark. The words, written by Euronymous, essentially speak of satanism. It is also the time when they lay the foundations of the current Black Metal look (leather, metal tips, warpaints). In 1987 the first major changes occurred in Mayhem's history. Maniac replaces Messiah for singing and they release the Deepcrush on their own label Posercorpse Music, limited to a thousand copies. New changes occurred in 1988, with the departure of Manheim, who found a real job and Maniac, who was interned in a psychiatric hospital. They were replaced by Hellhammer and Dead respectively. The latter is fascinated by death, darkness and decomposition, giving concerts that will become popular for their macabre side. In 1990, the band began a tour in Norway, East Germany and Turkey, recording the cult Live In Leipzig (released in 1993) and The Dawn Of The Black Hearts (released in 1995 as a bootleg). But in April 1991, 22-year-old Dead killed himself with a bullet in the head in a chalet near Oslo (Kråkstad). It was a decisive event in Mayhem's history. Euronymous discovers the first dead body of Dead and takes pictures (which will adorn the cover of The Dawn of the Black Hearts). The legend tells us that he would then have eaten some bits of his brain in order to reproduce a Viking rite and that he would have made pendants with pieces of his skull... In 1992, Euronymous created his own label Dearlike Silent Productions, dedicated exclusively to groups sharing his musical and ideological point of view. It is the time of the Inner Circle (the satanic terrorist group) whose acts (fires of churches,...) will lead to police investigations, forcing Necrobutcher to leave the group. Count Grishnackh, alias Varg Vikernes (Burzum), will replace him. Then Euronymous hired Attila Csihar ( Tormentor ) as a singer. They will thus record the album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas which will become cult, not only from a musical point of view but also "thanks" to upcoming events... Because on August 10, 1993, Varg stabbed Euronymous with 21 stab wounds. Mayhem ceases to exist. For fans of the first hour, this is the end of the period called "trve Mayhem" (1983-1993). De Mysteryiis Dom Sathanas is still posthumously released in 1994. At the end of 1995, Hellhammer announced the band's reformation with Maniac singing, Necrobutcher on bass and Blasphemer (Aura Noir , Silence ) on guitar. This reformation will be badly received by fans of the band. They released a first ep in 1997 on Misanthropy Records: Wolf's Lair Abyss . This one gets some success despite the criticisms of some fans calling the band "sold". They thus began a world tour, which will see the release of the live Mediolanum Capta Est . In 2000, their second album Grand Declaration Of War was released on the Season Of Mist label. Success is also on the agenda, but the gap between old "trahis" fans and new fans is widening. Blasphemer takes care of almost all compositions and Hellhammer will admit several times that he only plays for money. The band then followed with numerous tours. This is where the singer Maniac begins to suffer from glossophobia (fear of speaking in public) and is treated with alcohol. This results in the cancellation of several concerts. To keep fans waiting, Mayhem releases Live In Marseille, the Legions (two best of, one for the United States, the other for Europe) and reissues his vinyl discography. Chimera was born in 2004. The sound is more brutal and the production good, but the album is welcomed in the same way as the others. Maniac's phobia was growing, and he was fired at the end of 2004. Hellhammer managed to bring back Attila to finish the tour and release the new album. Thus Ordo Ad Chao was released in 2007, an album about the concept of chaos. Seven years without album and Mayhem returns in 2014 with Esoteric Warfare , an opus that will divide on its quality as often since the early 2000s. Late 2016 begins a tour to celebrate his cult album, De Mysteryiis Dom Sathanas , which is played in full.
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