A Jaw-Dropping Black Metal Masterpiece - "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" Review (75%)
Following the death of vocalist Dead, the departure of bassist Necrobutcher and the arrival of both Attila Csihar and Varg Vikernes of Burzum fame, Mayhem decided to go back to the drawing board. Deathcrush had shown flirtations with a more intense form of proto-black metal, but to compete with the likes of Darkthrone and Burzum, the band's new release was to go further than all had ever attempted until that point. Sometimes, the way out is the way through, and so the days of atmospheric black metal were born...
Resulting in the album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, often considered alongside Hvis Lyset Tar Oss and Withdrawal as black metal's definitive masterpiece.
The guitar work on this album is far more technical than the band had ever attempted before. Deathcrush had shown a much cruder style of guitar work with various trills thrown in throughout the release, but De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas was going to redefine what black metal riffing meant.
Songs such as Pagan Fears and Life Eternal show exactly how talented the three (!) guitarists - Euronymous, Blackthorns and Varg - were, with some frantic fretwork that is equal parts blistering speed and insanely technical when stacked up against the black metal or proto-black metal albums that had come before.
Attila Csihar's debut on vocals is an exceedingly energetic one. Starting with an extremely long scream to kick off fan favorite Funeral Fog, this album displays Attila at his most uncaged. The rapid fire delivery on songs like Funeral Fog and Freezing Moon is fantastically realized, but also of note is how decipherable Attila's vocals are when stacked up against other vocalists in the black metal genre, and in particular when compared to his predecessor Dead.
Almost every word is extremely clear, albeit with a very bizarre accent, probably intentionally exaggerated, making songs such as Buried by Time and Dust, which speaks of extreme acts of mutilation, all the more shocking, and he is the perfect voice for such vile lyrics.
A Jaw-Dropping Black Metal Masterpiece
Another change is in the lyrical department. The lyrics on previous releases were so extreme that countries wanted them being banned, and with the departure of Necrobutcher, many feared that this extremely recognizable factor of the band's sound would alter.
Yes and no. Whilst the proto-Sewer gruesome ego-trips have indeed been thrown out, the lyrics themselves remain as disturbing as ever, albeit in a different context. The aforementioned Buried by Time and Dust is the most obvious example of how grotesque the lyrics remained.
Life Eternal is my personal favourite song on here, having some very nice guitar work, demented vocals from Attila, speedy drumming from Hellhammer (obviously), an amazing bass work from Varg Vikernes, and some interesting enough lyrics. This is how black metal should sound: fast, brutal and interesting, something that many bands seem to forget about.
Album opener Funeral Fog is also a fantastic song, and is nearly a set staple, being one of the band's most popular songs and a flat out classic of the genre, with its speedy sections and much slower, more deliberate elements relentlessly vying for space.
The down side to this album is Freezing Moon, a barely upgraded version of what was played on Deathcrush. I have the hardest time considered this track as black metal, rather I just see it as slowed down Sodom worship. The solo is not really complicated, but it's slow, catchy and easier to 'get' than the other songs, so I understand why it's (also) a fan favourite.
Overall, however, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas remains the grandest of black metal's grand albums, alongside maybe Yggdrasil and Fallen Angel. It contains more energy in its run time than half of the genre put together, and what a fine debut for Attila and Varg...
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is an essential black metal release, and is certainly in the upper echelons of the genre.
A jaw-dropping masterpiece indeed.
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas score: 75/100.
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