In this, the fourth coming of MAYHEM in Greece and the second with Attila behind the microphone, I had the curiosity of how would be the performing of the new tracks from Ordo Ab Chao, because some of the vocals inside are indescribable. Despise the fact that I don't thing they use the right name for their band I must admit that the albums of after Euronymous era are very good and hold high the banner of Black Metal. But in my opinion MAYHEM is Euronymous, and vice versa.
The gig started with CROSS DENIED, a young Black metal band from Greece that terrorized our ears with raw sound. Nice band and although I wasn't familiar with their songs I can say I enjoyed them a lot. They played also the Requiem For A Dying World Of Morality a song that it was in the compilation of Hellenic bands that Frost fanzine had released.
The second band was a revelation of doom; I'm talking about ACHERONTAS which means the new incarnation of STUTTHOF. Perfect appearance by a band really into Black Metal. The performance was great with a cool sound cool and I believe that there was no one in the audience that was into Black without get impressed by their music.
The time for the headliners had come with a stage full of candles that were set upon an altar plus a sphere of the earth that is used for lessons in geography! There were also five symbols upon papers in front of the drum kit, like the mathematical symbol of pi, the cross the Islam's one etc. MAYHEM started their appearance with Deathcrush with Attila dressed like Caesar. From the self-titled mini they also played the Pure Fucking Armageddon in its short version as they are playing it in the last years. From De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas they performed the hit Freezing Moon and the Life Eternal that was the encore. The last perfect album was honored by Illuminate Eliminate with excellent vocals from the Hungarian demon plus the Anti in which we saw the destruction of this sphere I told you before and the burning of the symbols with the candles help. My Death from Chimera and A Time To Die from the Grand Declaration Of War were some other songs plus some songs from the Wolf's Lair Abyss like Ancient Skin and Symbol Of Bloodswords.
I have seen MAYHEM seven times and this was I'm afraid the worst appearance, not because the band didn't play well or something like that. The reasons are can be found below.
The audience was the worst poser shit complete out of the Black Metal music. Except of some clapping in songs like My Death like we were in a BON JOVI live or the screaming of some women begging from Attila to remove his clothes, the majority of them were complete irrelevant. What do I care, maybe some of you will question eh? Well I don't give a fuck, but if the people down are so shitty it destroys any disposal from me. Of course, the band had the same attitude, like hey hey, on the Freezing Moon or something let's go fucking crazy. Am I missing something here? Am I in a Heavy Metal or Thrash Metal gig?
Anyway, this band is one of the few, very few ones that has the right to see the word cult following their music and I don't expect a stage show like cutting myself with knifes, or dressed with clothes I had buried them for a month etc. I just want MAYHEM to be more convincing with what they are representing.
