Album & EP Reviews

Mayhem – Daemonic Rites

Mayhem – Daemonic Rites
Century Media
Release Date: 15/09/23
Running Time: 77:16
Review by Rick Eaglestone
8/10

Recorded in 2022 at New York City, Oslo royalty Mayhem show no sign of slowing down since their unholy inception 39 years ago with new live album “Daemonic Rites”.

Coming straight off the heels of the bands Beyond The Gates performance where the band performed cult classic “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, Mayhem have taken that electricity and applied it to this live performance which is a great combination of classics, newer material, and fan favourites. No Mayhem performance would be complete without tracks such as ‘Freezing Moon’ and ‘Deathcrush’ which when compared to the only other Mayhem live album I own, 1993’s “Live In Leipzig”, shows the bands maturity yet also highlights the enriched ferocity that comes along with longevity.

The band’s major label debut came in the form of 2019’s “Daemon” so tracks like ‘Falsified and Hatred’ and ‘Malum’ are great additions.

“We play the songs that feel the best live,” Hellhammer says. “We have in the past tried out a lot of different songs from former eras, but when you play live for an audience, the songs must have IT. If they don’t, even if they are good songs, they won’t fit in a live setting.”
 
Adds Teloch: “We have a vast catalogue by now with so many different types of songs. It’s interesting to make them all work together in a full concert.”

For an album that wasn’t pre-planned and just more of a spur of the moment concept purely for posterity reasons, it has turned out to be one of the best technical black metal albums produced in recent times. 

Frightfully unholy and meticulous.

‘Malum’ (LIVE) OFFICIAL VIDEO

TRACKLISTING:
01. Intro
02. Falsified and Hated
03. To Daimonion
04. Malum
05. Bad Blood
06. My Death
07. Symbols of Bloodswords
08. Voices Ab Alta
09. Freezing Moon
10. Pagan Fears
11. Life Eternal
12. Buried by Time and Dust
13. Silvester Anfang
14. Deathcrush
15. Chainsaw Gutfuck 
16. Carnage
17. Pure Fucking Armageddon

LINE-UP:
Necrobutcher – Bass 
Hellhammer – Drums 
Attila – Vocals 
Teloch – Guitars 
Ghul – Guitars 

LINKS:

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