De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

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De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas cover
Studio album by Mayhem
Released May 24, 1994
Recorded 1992-1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen, Norway
Genre Black metal
Length 46:01
Label Deathlike Silence
Century Black
Producer Pytten
Euronymous
Hellhammer
Professional reviews
Mayhem chronology
Live in Leipzig
(1993)		 De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
(1994)		 Dawn of the Black Hearts
(1995)

De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is the fourth official release and first studio album by the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem. Songwriting began as early as 1990, but due to the suicide of vocalist "Dead" and murder of guitarist "Euronymous", the album's release was delayed until May 1994.

Contents

[edit] Background

Mayhem released their first record, Deathcrush, in 1987. The following year they were joined by vocalist "Dead" and drummer "Hellhammer". The band began writing material for their next release, with Dead composing the lyrics. However on April 8 1991, while alone in a house shared by the band, Dead committed suicide via shotgun blast to the head. His body was discovered by fellow bandmate and guitarist "Euronymous" with a note that read "Excuse all the blood" and an apology for firing the shotgun indoors. Bassist "Necrobutcher" decided to leave the band following Dead's suicide.

Mayhem was now in need of a bassist and vocalist to record their next release. In 1993 they recruited bassist Varg Vikernes (who performed solo as Burzum), and vocalist Attila Csihar (who performed with Tormentor). The year before, Vikernes had been involved with burning down three churches in Norway. The band recorded much of the album during the first half of 1993 at the Grieg Hall in Bergen.

During the recording, tensions arose between Vikernes and Euronymous. On August 10 1993, Vikernes travelled to Euronymous' home in Oslo. Apparently the two began an argument which ended when Vikernes fatally stabbed Euronymous. He was found dead with twenty-three stab wounds, although Vikernes claims that the majority of those were received when Euronymous fell on pieces of glass that was broken in the struggle. He was arrested within days and sentenced to 21 years in prison for both the murder and the church burnings.

After Vikernes was convicted for the murder, Euronymous' parents requested that the album not feature the bass parts recorded by Vikernes. Hellhammer allegedly agreed to remove the bass parts and re-record them himself. However, instead of re-recording the bass parts, he simply lowered Vikernes' contributions in the final mix of the album.[citation needed]

The final product, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, features the last lyrics written by Dead before his suicide, and the last songs recorded by Euronymous before his murder. It may also be the only heavy metal album on which both a murderer and his victim perform.

[edit] Title and artwork

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The title De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is a Latin phrase which Euronymous translates (and intended to be translated) as Lord Satan's Secret Rites; but the phrase translates more literally as Of Lord Satan's Mysteries. The album cover shows the east side of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway.[1] The first editions of the album feature lyrics in the booklet and the cathedral coloured a shade of purple. Most subsequent editions do not feature lyrics and the cathedral is coloured a shade of blue.

[edit] Reception

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De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is widely acclaimed as one of the masterpieces of the black metal genre, and its bleak aesthetics and lyrics have often been cited as an inspiration by other black metal groups.[citation needed]

While Mayhem's previous vocalists had been Norwegian, Attila Csihar was from Hungary.[2] His style is somewhat atypical for black metal, and has provoked a mixed reception from fans; for example, Metal Reviews gave him the nickname "Attila 'Fingernails' Csihar" (although a subsequent review by the website praised his later, Ordo Ad Chao-era performances).

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Funeral Fog" – 5:47
  2. "Freezing Moon" – 6:22
  3. "Cursed in Eternity" – 5:10
  4. "Pagan Fears" – 6:21
  5. "Life Eternal" – 6:57
  6. "From the Dark Past" – 5:27
  7. "Buried By Time and Dust" – 3:34
  8. "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" – 6:22

[edit] Credits

[edit] Notes

"Buried By Time and Dust" was later covered by the Norwegian black metal band 1349

[edit] References

  1. ^ Campion, Chris. "In the face of death", The Observer, Guardian Unlimited, 2005-02-20. Retrieved on 2007-10-06. 
  2. ^ Christe, Ian (2003). Sound of the Beast: the Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 275. 
v • d • e
Mayhem
Necrobutcher · Hellhammer · Attila Csihar
Manheim · Dead · Maniac · Occultus · Euronymous · Count Grishnackh · Blackthorn · Nordgaren · Blasphemer
Studio albums
Live albums
Compilation albums
Demos and singles
Pure Fucking Armageddon · Deathrehearsal · Freezing Moon/Carnage · Ancient Skin/Necrolust