There are few bands who carry quite the same level of infamy that Mayhem have achieved in their 41 years, and with Liturgy of Death, Mayhem don’t so much reassert their relevance as dare anyone to challenge it. Filled with aggression and technicality, the result is an album that is undeniably powerful…but also frustrating and at times strangely sterile, as if the band are leaning on their legacy as much as their inspiration.
Opening track Ephemeral Eternity is a gloriously grand affair, moody synth lines conjure up the most vampiric of images, hints of demonic choirs underscore the chaos, and the lead vocals are steeped in thick reverb. But it’s Teloch and Ghul’s guitars that are the centrepiece here, their razor-sharp riffs twisting around each other like two venomous snakes waiting to sink their fangs in…it’s certainly a powerful start to the record!
When it comes to ability, Hellhammer’s drumming remains a marvel of endurance and technique. The amount of ferocious, technical blasting throughout this record is nothing short of mind-blowing, and it does allow the ‘quieter’ moments to garner even more impact when they do (occasionally) arrive. Add to this Atilla’s voice, which is still as feral and unhinged as ever, delivering vocal lines with a strength and vitriol that would make Beelzebub jealous and Mayhem have all the ingredients for a truly exceptional album, but the whole thing just seems slightly…underbaked.
Tracks such as Despair and Weep for Nothing deliver the expected obsidian riffs and suffocating atmospheres, however, by the time fourth track Aeon’s End arrives, it becomes painfully clear that there are going to be no big surprises on this record. That’s not to say there aren’t some great moments here, Propitious Death shows off their brilliant (but arguably underused) dynamic abilities and album closer The Sentence Of Absolution is a 7 minute, swirling epic that culminates in some sort of African drum circle…okay, maybe that one was a bit of a surprise.
For a band that has been doing this for such a long time, the production is as crisp as you could hope for. There is a clarity here that allows you to dissect every riff and fill, but there is still a feeling that this level of polish sanitises the raw menace that once made Mayhem feel genuinely dangerous.
Still, dismissing Liturgy of Death would be unfair. Its coherence, discipline, and writhing fury mark it as a serious late-career statement. But where it should feel apocalyptic, it sometimes feels archaeological – a meticulously preserved monument to black metal rather than a living, breathing beast.
Best Paired With: A book of matches, a shot of Aquavit and a large stock of baby wipes
Reviewed by Bryn.
Mayhem – Liturgy of Death on Century Media Records.
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