MAYHEM has been hailed as the most notorious and influential band in the history of Black Metal, and much of the happenings in their earlier years (such as the murder, suicide, church burnings, and rumours of cannibalism) have become the stuff of legend in the underground scene. However, these topics are so well documented that there really isn't anything new that can be said about them (although Dolk from KAMPFAR is currently working on a biography that should be a very interesting read with his more objective outsider perspective), and so, when I got the opportunity to interview MAYHEM, I steadfastly resolved to look at other aspects of the band. So when I sat down with Attila before their recent show in Munich, much of the conversation revolved around touring, the upcoming album "Esoteric Warfare", the impact of the two new guitarists on the band, and Cold War based artwork. And of course in order to commemorate their 30th anniversary, we also talked about the change of influences and recording processes over the years, as well as the media stigma attached to the band.
