MAYHEM - Daemon
Century Media Records
Alright a couple things to say before I get into this review of MAYHEM's latest release. First off yes I am a MAYHEM fan. Secondly 2007's Ordo ad Chao is their worst album. Third, 2014's Esoteric Warfare was not much better. I mean seriously why would you emulate the era of Rune "Blasphemer" Eriksen? Not that I despise his releases with MAYHEM on guitar (except for Ordo ad Chao because that sucked). But the simple fact is that we have all of that already, let's move on or move back further.
Strangely enough MAYHEM did in 2016 with the De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas Alive (yeah I know kinda stupid title but...) album/dvd release. That was cool and it's with that in mind that I listened to Daemon with some hope. I'm guessing playing those old songs for a year on tour paid off for guitarists Teloch (aka: Morten Bergeton Iversen) and Ghul (aka: Charles Hedger). Basically Daemon sounds like De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas being dragged kicking and screaming into the present day.
Of course having three people who were part of that era of MAYHEM helps. And just for the record bassist Necrobutcher played most of those songs prior to Varg doing the recording. But with that said this release is fuckin excellent. Both guitarists go for the throat when it comes to some cool fast riffs or majestic touches like opener "The Dying False King". But I actually like the doomy stuff like on "Daemon Spawn". I could go on song for song but no I won't.
As far as Attila Csihar's vocals go, he surpasses what he did on De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas by leaps and bounds (as well as the last two releases). Granted half the cuts on that album were formerly sung by Dead and Csihar had to reinterpret them into his style. He hasn't sounded this crazed since his days with TORMENTOR. The way many of these cuts weave through fast sections only to be corralled by slower tempos works well with his vocal style.
Daemon is an album of twenty five years in waiting for this band. A perfect release from a hellish start to a doomy yet full blown chaotic finish. Easily one of the best albums of 2019. MAYHEM now has another life. They can include many of these cuts in their live set. Relying on your past in fine to a point. But taking influences from your past and retrofitting em to modern audiences also works well.
https://www.centurymedia.com/
http://www.thetruemayhem.com/
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