Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare

Any mention of notorious black metal forerunners Mayhem, whether written or spoken, is almost immediately qualified. "Aside from the suicide and the murder…" or "I know they're a bunch of crazy assholes…" or "Euronymous was a kook, but…" are all conceivable lead-ins to any discourse on the band that spearheaded the infamous black metal scene of Bergen, Norway. While Mayhem and the Bergen scene of the early 1990's remain more steeped in folklore than the inner contents of Dave Mustaine's tangled mane, the band finds itself still relevant for the right reasons (read: actually releasing new music) over 20 years after the release of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Despite the departure of longtime guitarist Blasphemer following the release of 2007's Ordo ad Chao, Mayhem have returned with an even stronger release in Esoteric Warfare, with a lineup that for once seems like it may be stable if wooden inverted crosses are heartily knocked.

Fear Of Tomorrow: Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

Happy Halloween all and welcome to a special edition of Fear Of Tomorrow. Choosing albums that make you think of horror, fear or just plain Halloween can be a daunting task. From Abigail to Don't Break The Oath, Walk Among Us to Pure Holocaust; the album all depends on the listener. For me I decided to do with fear and with that said Mayhem's debut album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas barely needs an introduction. 

Rooster Rock To The MAX

So our rooster rocker friends in Atreyu were definitely one of the bigger acts (in terms of what order they were lined up, not necessarily one of the bigger performers) slotted at this years Mayhem Festival.  I was interested to see them perform live, but definitely not a band I was absolutely pumped for (like Shadows Fall, Chimaira, Norma Jean, Lamb Of God).  However, in their defense, I did find myself impressed with their performance.  I would never anticipate would happen afterwards though.  My fellow Brutalitopian Matt "The X-Factor" noticed while Norma Jean was playing that Dan Jacobs of Atreyu was making his exit but was taking pictures with fans who noticed him on the outskirts of the crowd.  Fate just so had it that we were close enough to this commotion that we ended up meeting the blood spattered esp guitar wielder himself.  

Mayhem Ticket: $50

Picture with rooster rocker Dan Jacobs: Priceless?    

- Vicious Mick \m/ \m/