The concept of death and Mayhem have been intertwined since most of the world first learned about them. It’s been an integral part of the black metal pioneers’ story that has become so synonymous with the group that for a long time, it overshadowed their actual music, as many of the infamous events the world came to know them for occurred prior to the band actually releasing a full-length album. One of those tragedies was the suicide of frontman Pelle Yngve “Dead” Ohlin, which is what ultimately led Attila Csihar to travel from his native Hungary to Norway to join Mayhem to record vocals for what would become one of the most influential black metal releases of all time – De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
But before that record would see the light of day, tensions within the burgeoning black metal scene, which Mayhem was integral in creating, would reach a point of no return that led to international infamy. Varg Vikernes of Burzum, who also played bass on De Mysteriis, would travel to Oslo and murder Mayhem guitarist Euronymous on August 10, 1993 by stabbing him over twenty times in supposed self-defense. As news spread of the event, Euronymous’ death brought worldwide scrutiny and examination of the Norwegian black metal scene, casting light upon other crimes committed by members of its so-called Inner Circle, which included murder and serial church burnings.
Ironically, founding bassist Necrobutcher, who left Mayhem after Dead’s suicide based on how Euronymous publicized it, would end up rejoining and restarting the group following a discussion with drummer Hellhammer at the guitarist’s funeral. The two began speaking again about how to proceed with releasing the album in the coming year, reunited again due to death. Finally, after ten years together, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas finally saw the light of day in May 1994 as the group’s first full length LP.
While all of this was happening, Attila heard nothing from the band. He eventually was told second-hand about what had occurred, and unbeknownst to him, Mayhem had reformed with former singer Maniac on vocals. Upon establishing contact with his former bandmates during a tour in 1998, it was agreed upon that Attila would return to the band if the opportunity ever presented itself, which it did by 2004.
Now, after 40-plus years in existence and several studio albums that have followed their elusive first, Mayhem are back with Liturgy of Death, which thoroughly examines a topic that has been so prevalent and attached to the band throughout its existence. Ahead of its release, I had a chance to talk to Attila about a number of topics, including:
- the lyrical theme for the new album, why it was time to tackle death at this point of his career, the beliefs that informed his philosophy, and some deep metaphysical pondering about the universe.
- the intention of references like “dead church burn” and “deathlike silence” to the group's controversial past, the religious language used in the lyrics and their significance, and opinions about embracing death as an inevitability.
- Mayhem’s 40th anniversary tour, playing with Dead’s original band Morbid in Stockholm, musings about why Dead joined Mayhem, and an upcoming Tormentor and Morbid show on Friday the 13th of next year.
- his initial reasons for going to Norway from Hungary when joining the band, any apprehension he had about entering the Norwegian black metal scene, his thoughts on Euronymous and Varg, and the recording of the legendary De Mysteriis.
- the long path he took back to reuniting with Mayhem in 2004, how he feels Liturgy of Death adds to Mayhem’s legacy, reflections on the group’s history, and how long he feels they can continue.
You can view the entire interview HERE:
Or, if you prefer to listen, check it out on Spotify or Apple Podcasts:
It was a great thrill for me to speak with a true black metal legend like Attila, and he was more than gracious with his time. Listening to him speak about his creative process surrounding this album, and listening to the end result, he poured over this testament to finality with painstaking detail to deliver perhaps the best lyrical and vocal performance of his career. In listening to Liturgy of Death, it’s clear that Mayhem put an incredible effort into producing one of their best studio recordings to date, further proving their musical acumen to the world that first learned of them from everything else besides it.
Or, as Attila said to me, very apropos to his theme … the album is “a crown on the corpse of Mayhem.”
You can pre-order Mayhem's seventh studio album, Liturgy of Death, at the link below. The first two singles, "Weep for Nothing" and "Despair" are out now on all major streaming platforms, with "Life Is A Corpse You Drag" set to be released this Friday, January 9th.
Mayhem will embark on the Death Over Europe Tour in February with Marduk and Immolation to coincide with the album's release. Ticket information is available below.
