Mayhem: from Deathcrush to De Mysteriis

I'm not a huge black metal fan. I dipped my toes in it in my early 20s, but it just didn't do much for me.

The Mayhem that I bought at the time was De Mysteriis, as it was the one in the used bin at the time I decided to kind of explore the genre. I did not care for it at all. Quickly sold it, along wtih the other BM discs I bought.

On the most random of whims I listened to Deathcrush today, which was the first time I'd ever heard it. I actually enjoyed it pretty well. It sounded thrashier to me, and definitely more in line with Venom, Bathory and Celtic Frost than with 90s BM that I'd heard.

So right after, I listened to De Mysteriis on Spotify...first time I'd heard it since selling it a decade ago. And, no, I was right the first time. This record sucks. It sounds like what I sterotypically think of BM sounding lilke. The vocals are terrible. This dude definitely does not stack up. So yeah...I know the band went through a lot of famous changes between the two records...and obviously, the genre became its own thing and not just a more extreme version of thrash like it was at first. Just weird to me how Deathcrush can be pretty enjoyable and DM be so godawful. In my opinion, of course.

I like both Deathcrush and De Mysteriis. However I prefer the Dead era so pretty much live in Leipzig album is the only one I own. You gotta have the right atmosphere to listen to black metal in my opinion.

Deathcrush is a great EP and the only Mayhem record that I own or ever will own. I'm not a fan of Either BM or DM but those early records where thrash was heading in more extreme directions (Deathcrush, Seven Churches, Morbid Visions, Scream Bloody Gore etc), were fantastic records.

I love De Mysteriis dom Sathanas! One of the best black metal albums ever made and I think Atilla is an awesome vocalist. Dark and haunting with just the right character. Too bad you all didn't like it.

I love black metal when I'm in the mood for it. De Mysteriis dom Sathanas is one of the classics of the genre, and if you don't like it, I can understand why you'd not like any other traditional black metal.

Atilla's vox are an acquired taste. I admit, I much prefer the vocals of Dead or Maniac, but De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is a classic & he fit it very well.

You might enjoy Immortal's 'Pure Holocaust', that band has never backed away from their thrash and death influences, but there is a ton of blasting.  

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

You might enjoy Immortal's 'Pure Holocaust', that band has never backed away from their thrash and death influences, but there is a ton of blasting.  

 I do like Immortal, actually. They were one of two BM bands that I did enjoy. The other was Darkthrone (not all of their stuff, but some of it--I really like their newer stuff, too...with the whole "black n' roll" thing).

And speaking of black n' roll and Immortal, I do like the Demonaz solo album and the I album.

I really like Kvelertak, I think that they could be described as Black & Roll

I like early MAYHEM of course and also other bands like MOONBLOOD (best german black metal band?), IMPALED NAZARENE (old and new), BEHERIT, and hunderd more black metal bands but i only play their demos, cd´s or lps when i am in the right mood for it (some of you guys said the same thing already). I listen to everything between hard rock and black metal but only bands with the right attiude, influences (only tradicional hard rock and metal influences, no alternative, folk, industrial or nu metal influences for exemple).

I see what you're saying, but you can be fully tr00 and still have some industrial keys here and there or whatnot. It's a splash of color.  

krokus wrote:

IMPALED NAZARENE (old and new)

The Motörhead of black metal.