Mayhem

Wolf's Lair Abyss

(c)(p)1997 Misanthropy Records

Review by Richard Stuart

Mayhem, authors of the best seller "101 Charming Things To Do With A Pig's Head", have defied numerous critics who've scoffed at the idea of the band carrying on without their mini-legend of a guitarist, Euronymous. Mayhem 1997 consists of Necrobutcher (bass), Blasphemer (guitars), Maniac (vocals) and Hellhammer (drums) - Necrobutcher and Maniac being the same people who performed on Mayhem's debut, "Deathcrush", all those years ago. "Wolf's Lair Abyss" comes in a classy, swish digipak (a lyric sheet is included), it's on Misanthropy Records and lasts for 24 minutes 44 seconds.

After a rather weird intro (consisting of cosmic noise and a fanfare), the listener is bombarded with all-round unrelenting brutality. Hellhammer's drumming is devastating, and the songs in general are very harsh and intense - although not as technical perhaps as you may expect. Generally speaking this release pretty much epitomises the word 'extreme', but there are a few moments which verge on accessibility -- such as the clean singing at the beginning of the last track, which sounds most unlike anything I would've expected from this band. Most of the time the rasped vocals are totally warped and twisted, (although once or twice they verge on comical unfortunetly), but some normal speaking and monk-like chanting is also used in a few places. "I Am Thy Labyrinth" and "Ancient Skin" are my favourite songs here, the latter employing an almost Darkthrone-esque opening melody. The production is suitable for this music, resulting in a somewhat savage sound which 'ordinary' folk will undoubtedly dismiss as violent noise.

A very brutal release, and well worth your time investigating -- but it's not as grimly satisfying as the classic "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" album.

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