An ominous intro, twilight, figures in black robes slowly entered the stage and a mystery filled with drive and rage began. Approximately so the shows of the Mayhem group took place in recent years.
How it all began?
The history of the Norwegian and world black metal scene began with Mayhem. In 1984, three school friends Eystein Oshet (Euronymous) (guitar), Jorn Stubberud (Necrobutcher) (bass guitar), Kjetil Manheim (drums) formed a band. They didn't want to play trendy thrash or death metal. Their plans were to create the most evil and heavy music.
They were briefly joined by vocalist Eric Nordheim (Messiah). But already in 1985, Erik Christiansen (Maniac) took his place. In 1987, Maniac tried to commit suicide, then went to a rehab clinic and left the group. Behind him, for personal reasons, the drummer left the band. The band released a demo of Pure Fucking Armageddon and an EP called Deathcrush.
Madness and the first glory of Mayhem
The search for a new vocalist ended in 1988. Swede Per Yngve Ohlin (Dead) joined the team. A few weeks later Mayhem found a drummer. They became Jan Axel Blomberg (Hellhammer).
Dead greatly influenced the work of the group, bringing occult ideas to it. Death and service to the dark forces became the main themes of the lyrics.
Per was obsessed with the afterlife, considered himself a dead man who was forgotten to be buried. Before the show, he buried his clothes in the ground so that they would rot. Dead, Euronymous took to the stage in Corpspaint, a black-and-white make-up that gave the musicians a resemblance to corpses or demons.
Olin suggested "decorating" the stage with pig heads, which he then threw into the crowd. Per suffered from prolonged depression - he regularly cut himself. It was the acts of damage that attracted audiences to Mayhem's first performances.
In the early 1990s, the group went on a mini-tour of Europe, performed with concerts in Turkey. The shows were successful, filling the ranks of black metal "fans".
The Mayhem team was preparing material for the first full-length album. It seemed to the musicians that success, as never before, was close. But on April 8, 1991, Per committed suicide. He opened the veins in his arms, after which he shot himself in the head with Aarseth's shotgun. And along with the suicide note, he left the text of the band's most popular song, Frozen Moon.
Death of lead singer of Mayhem
It was the death of the vocalist that brought even more attention to the band. And the inadequate behavior of Euronymous added fuel to the fire of the band's popularity. Eysten, finding a friend dead, went to the store and bought a camera. He photographed the corpse, collected the fragments of the skull. From them he made pendants for Mayhem members. A photo of the late Olin Oshet sent to several pen pals. A few years later, it appeared on the cover of a bootleg published in Colombia.
The master of black PR Euronymous said that he ate a piece of the brain of the former vocalist. He does not deny the rumors when they begin to blame him for the death of the Dead.
Bassist Necrobutcher left the band the same year due to disagreements with Euronymous. During 1992-1993. Mayhem was looking for a bass player and vocalist. Attila Csihar (vocals) and Varg Vikernes (bass) joined the band to record the album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
Øysten and Vikernes have known each other for several years. It was Euronymous who published the Burzum albums of the Varga project on their label. By the time De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was recorded, relations between the musicians were tense. On August 10, 1993, Vikernes killed the Mayhem guitarist with over 20 stab wounds.
Revival and worldwide fame
In 1995, Necrobutcher and Hellhammer decided to bring Mayhem back to life. They invited Maniac, who had recovered, to vocals, and Rune Eriksen (Blasphemer) took the place of the guitarist.
The group was renamed The True Mayhem. By adding a small inscription to the logo. In 1997, the mini-album Wolf's Lair Abyss was released. And in 2000 - the full-length disc Grand Declaration of War.
The team toured extensively in Europe and the United States. The shows were no less shocking than the performances with the previous vocalist. Maniac self-mutilated, butchering pig heads on stage.
Maniac: "Mayhem means being completely honest with yourself. The blood is what is true. I don't do this at every gig. When I feel a special release of energy from the group and from the audience, only then do I cut myself ... I feel that I want to give myself completely to the audience, I do not feel pain, but I feel truly alive!
In 2004, despite the release of the Chimera album, the band fell on hard times. Maniac, suffering from alcoholism and mental disorders, disrupted performances, tried to commit suicide. In November 2004, Attila Csihar replaced him.
Era of Attila
The unique vocals of Chihara became the hallmark of Mayhem. Attila skillfully combined growling, throat singing and elements of operatic singing. The shows were outrageous and without antics.
In 2007, the band released the album Ordo Ad Chao. Raw sound, enhanced bass line, slightly chaotic track structure. Mayhem again changed the genre that they created. Later, the style was called post-black metal.
In 2008, guitarist and songwriter Blasphemer left the band. He moved to Portugal a long time ago with a girl and focused on working with the Ava Inferi project. According to members of the Mayhem band, Rune was uncomfortable with the constant comparisons with the first guitarist Aarseth and the constant criticism of the "fans".
Blasphemer : "I sometimes find it both funny and hurtful when I see people speaking out about the 'new' Mayhem... and when I get questions about a guy who's been dead for over a decade, it's really hard for me to answer them."
For the next few years, the band performed with session guitarists Morfeus and Silmaeth. The band toured Europe, North and Latin America.
In 2010, in Holland, almost all the band members and technicians were arrested for vandalizing a hotel room. And 2011 was marked by another scandal at the French Hellfest. For their show, Mayhem "decorated" the stage with human bones and skulls smuggled into the festival.
Silmaeth left the band in 2011. And Mayhem got Morten Iversen (Teloch). And in 2012, Morfeus was replaced by Charles Hedger (Ghul).
Mayhem today
The next release of Esoteric Warfare was released in 2014. It continues the themes of the occult, mind control, started in Ordo Ad Chao.
In 2016 and 2017 the band toured the world with the show Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. As a result of the tour, a live album of the same name was released.
In 2018, the band performed with concerts in Latin America, at European festivals. And in May 2019, Mayhem announced a new album. The release was released on October 25, 2019. The record was called Daemon, which included 10 tracks.
