A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Æ Ø Å

MAYHEM (NOR) "Mediolanum Capta Est" (1999) [AVANTGARDE MUSIC]
Well, I should say that lately live albums about black & death metal bands are more & more professional: we had a jewel as "live in Germania" from Marduk and "Destroys Wacken" from Hypocrisy and now the legend of the black metal Mayhem gives us "Mediolanum Capta Est" that is about the gig they took in Milan or I should say "Mediolanum" the 2nd November 1998. Obscure Plasma (nowadays Avantgarde music) have already given us their first official live album (the famous "Live in Leipzig") in 1993 and now, after a lot of obscure years and more obscure happenings, the band and this Italian labels decide it was time to record their second official live album. A journey of 12 songs "From the dark [and raw!] past" featuring also Attila Csihar as vocalist to new but "Ancient Skin". You could also enjoy to compare with the performance in 1990 in songs as "Deathcrush", "Carnage", "The Freezing Moon", "Necrolust", "Chainsaw Gustfuck", "Pure fucking Armageddon". You could find this live album in 3 version: vinyl, CD and picture disc and don't forget to look the exclusive pictures inside ...well, maybe I should be a bit partial about these ones, so it's up to you to judge them. The legend goes on...
Reviewed by Lidia Buscaino


MAYHEM "Grand Declaration of War" (2000) [SEASON OF MIST]
It's simple to say: it's a not an album one can review in few lines: I can't get great emotions from "Grand Declaration of War". On the other side, it’s a bit controversial because I found something else in these new songs: it's like Mayhem start creating a new sound that will give to some (but I guess not so many) listeners new emotions.
About me, it’s from their exhibition in Trondheim just some days before the album was out that I’ve been asking myself: what the hell was that? I’m talking about intro to “View from nihil” and this is just an example. I haven’t found out the answer jet...
Someone declares this will be an album that will shock like the cult "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" in the beginning of the 90's but after it'll be remember as well as this one. Well, I liked "De Mysteriis.." at once, not this one...
I can’t be sure about the opposite, only time shall tell but I have many doubts about it will endure the time. Mostly I can't really understand in which way one can compare such 2 different albums: the “obscure” touch of the oldest is something nobody can negate but in the new album of Mayhem is no remander.
I mean it’s impressive how they try to play something different and original and songs like “A bloodsword and a colder sun” are really remarkable when it comes to this but can we still call this originality or at least be surprised about the new addictions when nowadays mostly of the Norwegian ex-black metal bands are trying to add their sound tons of strange effects and kind of techno/industrial even ambient parts and death/black riffs and (terrible) harcorish vocals (“crystallized pain in deconstruction”)? Sometimes is simply too much: the result ends to be confuse and even the songs are supposed to be violent are not strong enough because of these parts. But don’t except Mayhem did a straight step into a “new sound” with this album; it’s more a mix of different weapons. “Grand declaration of war” could be the right title if you see this album as a “declaration” of what is supposed to be a future battle of Mayhem. But still is not clear what are they requests. I’m really curious, nothing more.
Maybe for you too now it’s a difficult choice so I advice you something else: just think what are you looking for and then the choice will be simple, one more time.
Reviewed by Lidia Buscaino