MAYHEM: Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando (BLACK METAL): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Mayhem is slowly approaching forty years old, a venerable age for a black metal band. Therefore, the Norwegians might want to give up. But no. It must be said that the recruitment of guitarists Teloch and Ghul a decade ago has injected new blood into the dinosaur, even if these two recruits are not really virgins, walking their spats for a long time in the apses of the black chapel.

Two years after a "Daemon" of good memory, this tutelary figure of the genre is back not with an EP filled with seven tracks for almost half an hour of dark and icy sounds. And there is a little bit of everything in "Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando", fruit of the recording sessions of the last opus to date: one unreleased track, two others used as bonus to the limited edition of "Daemon" and four covers. But this heterogeneous assembly has at least two merits: confirming that Mayhem still draws a powerful inspiration and reminding that for these musicians, music doesn't start with black.

Devoted to their own material, the first part (i.e. the A side of the vinyl) testifies that the Norwegians remain the lords of the genre. 'Voces Ab Alta', 'Black Glass Communion' and 'Everlasting Dying Flame' sink into the same unhealthy and tortured ground as "Daemon" of which they form the complement. Considering their insolent quality, it would have been a pity if they didn't have the right to a separate case. Especially the first of the three and the only one unreleased of the lot, which offers a frightening vocal performance of Attila Csihar, dark and baroque.

This vertiginous beginning reminds us of the live interpretation of "De Mysteriis Dom Satanas" that the band performed for the 30th anniversary of this album. Same frozen atmosphere, same underground force, same mortiferous sap. So, these are not cheap compositions picked up to have a thing to sell. Better, they largely deserved to appear on the menu of "Daemon" so much they prolong the macabre and dissonant excellence.

The second part hosts the four covers, all drawn from the punk repertoire. The Ramones ('Commando'), Discharge ('In Defense Of Our Future'), Dead Kennedys ('Hellnation') and Rudimentari Peni ('Only Death') are summoned by the band, an opportunity for them to pay homage to a style in which some historical craftsmen of the black art, such as Venom or Bathory, were more or less deeply rooted. Mayhem pushed the joy by inviting its two former singers, Messiah and Maniac, very comfortable in this angry and energetic register.

Far from the lowly mercantile product to take advantage of the selling aura of its progenitors, "Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando" underlines the vitality of Mayhem while it closes the chapter opened by "Daemon". Indispensable ! - Official website

MAYHEM

ATAVISTIC BLACK DISORDER / KOMMANDO

AUTRE LABEL

BLACK METAL