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.
