Mayhem
Esoteric Warfare
Season of Mist
2014
I remember a “metal father” from a well-known metal magazine here in Greece that used to stand up for every shity-sounded black metal in his radio shows back in mid-90s. His answer to my persisting question, “com’ on this ain’t good at all – why do you keep pushing it to the public”?... was memorial! He used to respond like that: “yeah it may be weird and not so good but it has a pure feeling all over it!”. Anyhow, the years passed… he eventually jumped off the metal ship, burnt bridges with the past and started listening to more mainstream music and making fun of metal and extreme metal. What a “metal father” to guide the new generation!!! You see I was young and naïve back then and I couldn’t see the money thing behind every move of those “rock/metal magazines” and their head chiefs.
Hence, why am I saying this story right? It has a lot to do with Mayhem and their music in general. You see back then, it was the time when all the “weird Incidents” took place in Norway and Mayhem, along with the Norwegian scene, gained fame and fortune due to a suicide and a murder. I’m not going to refer to that story, it’s out there and anyone can search and find much info about it.
Mayhem (the band – as a name) were the big winners of those “weird Incidents” of the 90s. They gained much more than they ever deserved and became famous not due to their music which was never that good. So now, after a 7-year hiatus, they’re back with a new album. Let me set a couple of things straight. Hellhammer is a hell of a drummer. Attilla is also a great singer for that kind of music… but the guys lack on the songwriting as they always did! That shity, raw and hallow sound is way dated nowadays. It’s not cool by any means! The tracks have that old-school black metal background and nothing more. If they have been told… it’s 2014 and if they cannot evolve (in any way), they’d better stay out of the game, cuz they have started becoming a bad joke. “Esoteric Warfare” is a freakin’ awful album in any part… it is mostly saved by Hellhammer’s drumming and Attila’s growls! If you wanna play it cool and make your neighbor freak out – then you should probably get it… if you do appreciate music as an art then avoid it like shit…
Hence, why am I saying this story right? It has a lot to do with Mayhem and their music in general. You see back then, it was the time when all the “weird Incidents” took place in Norway and Mayhem, along with the Norwegian scene, gained fame and fortune due to a suicide and a murder. I’m not going to refer to that story, it’s out there and anyone can search and find much info about it.
Mayhem (the band – as a name) were the big winners of those “weird Incidents” of the 90s. They gained much more than they ever deserved and became famous not due to their music which was never that good. So now, after a 7-year hiatus, they’re back with a new album. Let me set a couple of things straight. Hellhammer is a hell of a drummer. Attilla is also a great singer for that kind of music… but the guys lack on the songwriting as they always did! That shity, raw and hallow sound is way dated nowadays. It’s not cool by any means! The tracks have that old-school black metal background and nothing more. If they have been told… it’s 2014 and if they cannot evolve (in any way), they’d better stay out of the game, cuz they have started becoming a bad joke. “Esoteric Warfare” is a freakin’ awful album in any part… it is mostly saved by Hellhammer’s drumming and Attila’s growls! If you wanna play it cool and make your neighbor freak out – then you should probably get it… if you do appreciate music as an art then avoid it like shit…