Mayhem is a Norwegian black metal band formed in Oslo in 1984, the foundational — and most infamous — act of the second-wave Norwegian scene. De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994), released after the murder of guitarist Euronymous, is the genre's defining document. Not for the faint-hearted; essential all the same. Explore Mayhem vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Mayhem formed in Oslo, Norway in 1984 around guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth), bassist Necrobutcher (Jørn Stubberud), and original drummer Manheim. The band is widely cited as one of the foundational acts of the second-wave Norwegian black metal scene of the early 1990s. Their early career was marked by tragedy and controversy - vocalist Dead died by suicide on April 8, 1991, with Euronymous photographing the scene and using the imagery on the cover of the Dawn of the Black Hearts bootleg album (1995). Euronymous was murdered by former member Varg Vikernes (Burzum) on August 10, 1993 during a personal dispute. Their landmark album De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994) was recorded with Dead's vocals (replaced by Attila Csihar after his death), Euronymous's guitars (released after his murder), and Vikernes's bass (recorded before the murder). The band has continued operating in various configurations since 1995. Hellhammer has been the only consistent member through subsequent decades. Necrobutcher returned in 1995. They have toured extensively across multiple decades.
Mayhem's sound is foundational to second-wave Norwegian black metal as a recognized genre - combining black metal, Norwegian black metal, extreme metal, avant-garde metal, and atmospheric black metal with extensive distorted tremolo-picked guitar work, blast beat drumming, harsh screamed and shrieked vocal delivery, and lyrical content addressing satanism, nihilism, anti-Christianity, and broader extreme metal themes. Their foundational influence on black metal as a recognized genre is widely documented.
Deathlike Silence, Misanthropy, Season of Mist, and Century Media pressings of the Mayhem catalog are foundational items in black metal collecting. Multiple anniversary editions, audiophile reissues, and the comprehensive Season of Mist reissue programs have been released.
Listeners new to Mayhem typically start with De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (1994).
