MAYHEM — De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (review)

MAYHEM — De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas album cover Album · 1994 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Warthur
Musically speaking De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is straight down the line no-nonsense no-frills black metal, and whilst it is certainly an influential example of the form, it is possible to be influential in a field whilst still being outstripped by later contributors. The unique circumstances of its recording perhaps conspired to produce an album which I think is rather more interesting than the one the band would have produced left to their own devices, though it is still an album where the legend behind it is perhaps more interesting than the final outcome.

I'm not referring here to the murder of Euronymous by Varg Vikernes - though the album's reputation is forever connected to that killing, it didn't affect the writing of the thing for reasons which should be obvious. No, I'm talking about the suicide of Dead, and the brave decision of Attila Csihar to step into the breach and take up the vocalist position.

Dead, as is well known, was a deeply unhappy individual with some pretty severe baggage, and the lyrics he wrote for Mayhem reflected his alienation from the living and his obsession with death and suicide. But had Dead lived to record the vocals for this album, we'd have ended up with something much like Live at Leipzig, with Dead screaming like a wounded animal about his desire for death.

Where things get somewhat interesting is when the concepts are taken from Dead and are handed to Attila, who has a much more operatic and dramatic style of vocal delivery which is much more varied than typical black metal vocalists. In his hands, the vocals turn from a strangled plea into an imperious command; whereas Dead wanted to die, on this album Attila sounds like he is ordering you, the listener, to lie down and die of fear where you sit. It is certainly a potent effect. However, leaving Varg's bass on this and simply lying to Euronymous's loved ones about it was a shitty thing to do, and it's hard not to think that this has since been equalled.
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