Mayhem - Liturgy of Death
Hideous real-life infamy is spliced into the name of Mayhem. The notorious grim events of the early chaotic 1990s are so well known that it’s difficult to divorce from them from any mention of the band. Liturgy of Death is Mayhem’s seventh album and this review is not going to rehearse the past; but instead approach this record without historic prejudice.
It is fair to say this is black metal, albeit very high-profile. Liturgy of Death is a maelstrom and there is a fevered madness that runs through it. The opener Ephemeral Eternity is partnered with Nordic madcaps Ulver (who long ago moved out of traditional black metal and away into wacko subversive pop). Consequently, this track has a carnival-esque, celestial pomposity that would make an atmospheric intro in a live setting. There are points like this during the record, such as Funeral of Existence, when the sound is more layered. rich and demonically majestic. Crucially, however, this does not translate as over-produced nor does it detract from the hellish, blazing aggression and indominable velocity of this album.
The lacerating, lashing riffs of Despair, Weep for Nothing or Propitious Death are more redolent of Chimera-era modern Mayhem with a rawer, familiar approach. Seething and dizzyingly fast, the band, now long past their volatile youthful years, can maintain an awesome pace with pell-mell deranged, deceivingly intricate time changes and nifty mini-bridges. The percussion from Hellhammer is, as ever, Kalashnikov precise and is a huge part of the production impact. The vocals of Attila are truly demented and swing wildly between choked gargles, condemned screams, embittered hisses and stentorian warbles. He sounds genuinely possessed and is a menacing, evil presence and, both on record and live, is a unique, authentic metal frontman.
Their raw, underground iteration is long gone and, instead, Mayhem are a more technically proficient and produced proposition. Yet, crucially, Liturgy of Death has an effortless malevolence to which so many other BM outfits can only aspire. The riffs, bridges and crazed song structures have an energy and venom that defies the band members’ demographic. Their music remains challenging, mercurial with an element of unpredictability. And though purists will say this isn’t underground or cvlt enough, this is a different era now; Liturgy of Death proves that when it comes to an unnerving atmosphere of otherworldly dread, Mayhem have, as the youths say, aura. Maniacal, devious, twisted, fucking mayhem.
Mayhem on Bandcamp: https://centurymedia.bandcamp.com/album/liturgy-of-death-24-bit-hd-audio