Artist: Mayhem
Title: “Pure Fucking Mayhem”
Label: Prophecy Productions
Release Date: 11/3/2008
Genre: Black Metal
Rating: 4/5

In terms of the phrase “Black Metal”, the credit might have historically gone to Britain’s Venom who offered up a song of the same name but when it comes down to the music genre and all of its sinister and blasphemous glory for many it begins with the legendary Mayhem. If you have ever followed the band that heralded the True Norwegian Black Metal scene then you are most likely very aware of their unique and rather insidious history, but if you are not, then this documentary “Pure Fucking Mayhem” is the best way to learn about the bands humble beginnings and catch up to where they stand as a band in today’s Metal world. It’s a fascinating and yet also a frightening tale when you think about it because while it might have been on some musicians minds, there was no real Black Metal scene yet nor was music and shows of this type being played in the same scale as we find happening today. Of course this was back in 1984 and Heavy Metal music was due for a drastic change care of the bands founders Euronymous, Necrobutcher and Manheim. These three musicians were the core and delivered more of a Punk meets aggressive Thrash vibe and while using a different vocalist in the beginning, the true dark shape of the band would solidify into something more tangible when they brought the Swedish singer Dead into their roster.

So much of the bands history from the point of arrival of Dead is historical tales that are passed around in numerous Metal discussions and that is what made this documentary so effective for me. We get fantastic commentary from Necrobutcher, Manheim and Attila Csishar along with some others and as result are given an inside view to their origins that is unlike other stories of this kind. Who better to tell the tale than those who lived its memories after right? Clearly Mayhem was a disturbing unit and their premise one of the most intense of its kind as they did shows that found the singer cutting himself to bleed on the audience and throwing animal heads into their number for the sheer purpose of shocking the hell out of them. Frightened yet? Well, if not you will be because the story only gets more gruesome as the musicians continue to recall their history. Since everyone knows about how Dead took his own life and how Euronymous was eventually murdered by the bands bassist Varg Vikernes, I will leave the finer details about all of these happenings to your own discovery as you watch the film. They will not make any more sense in the coming to grips with it fashion but will instead give you more of an understanding to the motives that each of these musicians had in their minds. It was definitely some alarming stuff when it came down to it. The film leaves you off in a very recent time in the bands history which was a good thing as it makes it more current and does not leave you wondering what had happened “since the film ended” like many other documentaries of this kind do.

The DVD set also features an audio CD that instead of delivering any Mayhem tracks, presents the films viewer with what appears to be the soundtracks background music which we hear over the course of the documentary. It’s primarily atmospheric and very gloomy sounding piano stuff that really sets a grim and foreboding mood. The CD tracks are listed as follows: Eternal Life, Dark Past, Time, Mysteriis, Obsessed, Return, Weird, Anno Dracul. It is not music that I suggest you listen to if you are feeling a little down since it will only send you further into the dark. This is a must see or must own documentary based on the overall importance that Mayhem’s influences have had on Black Metal music. If you are or were ever a fan of this kind of stuff, then you surely regard these guys as legends for the format and should easily enjoy it. If you are a conventional Metal fan and one who has a strong constitution, then you might enjoy this for its historical overview as it really sheds some light over the bleak darkness that is Mayhem.

Track Listing:
1. Dawn Of A New Age
2. Dawn Of Dead
3. Ceremony Of Opposites
4. Aerie Descent
5. Black God, White Devil

Official Website: http://www.thetruemayhem.com