Icons of the Norweigan black metal scene since their conception, Mayhem never tire of exploring deep within the twists and turns of the human soul. From their essential first album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) to Chimera (2004), Esoteric Warfare (2014), and the highly popular Grand Declaration of War (2000), right the way through to Ordo Ad Chao (2007), the band alternates between traditional black metal and musical innovation, managing to rejuvenate itself as well as the black metal genre. The style of their latest release, Dæmon, is more traditional with a very distinct black metal sound that is certainly not unpleasant, but which they have very much made their own.
Their sound is oppressive and full on, the group hardly coming up for air as their compositions are huge and there’s barely a moment of silence – to the point where you feel you’re holding your breath throughout the entire album. Attila’s vocals are as compelling as ever with schizophrenic changes of timbre, particularly in Falsified and Hated and Dæmon Spawn. Hellhammer returns with an aggressive attack on drums, alternating between violent blast beats and double bass drumming. There are also some unexpected but brilliant moments of harmony that add to the overall spellbinding character of Dæmon. Finally, a few synth sounds are used to subtly enhance the album, notably in Invoke the Oath and Malum. © Clément Bruni/Quobuz