Man, this record sets a whole new level for Mayhem.

I was looking forward to this release simply because I was eagerly anticipated Attila’s return to the band. While I absolutely love Mayhem, I have to admit I could not stand anything that they did with Maniac. The only thing that sucked more than his vocals was his stage presence. Their releases with him were also lacking. I can still listen to “Chimera” but “Grand Declaration of War” is simply shit.

Anyway, the newest from Mayhem is a brilliant record. I can’t think of one other band in metal that is doing something as unique as Mayhem is doing now. Each song on this record is a journey into chaos. Every track and song playing like an unstructured path to the unknown.

The sound of the record is quite intense too. From the opening chord you immediately notice a extremely low-end, bass-driven “muck” sound that permeates the entire record.

I could see how some people could find this record a bit strange, but give it a chance, metal kids.