Mayhem - Deathcrush (Mayhem:  The Studio Experience Vinyl Box)
2002 Season Of Mist
by Scoots

Quick Summary:
It would be hard to overestimate the influence of Mayhem on the last fifteen years of black metal.  Indeed their name has become synonymous with the genre.  Their mystique is based both on their brutal, uncompromising music and on the infamous fog of death and violent crime that has surrounded the band.  Emerging from the frozen forests of Norway in the mid '80s, Mayhem set the standards for the newly emerging black metal scene, not only musically but philosophically and in terms of dress and showmanship, as well.  In 1987 they released the Deathcrush mini album in a limited pressing of 1000 copies which sold out almost instantly.  Since then it has been repressed numerous times and become a popular target for bootleggers.

From the lead in of the opening drum piece, Mayhem launches headlong into the album's fiercest track, Deathcrush, a faith-shattering blast that kills Christians on first listen.  Euronymous' guitar tone evokes images of chainsaw surgery, reaching levels of ear-shredding distortion seen more frequently in the world of punk rock.  What really knocks me out on this album, and sets the band apart from their contemporaries, are Maniac's intense, pained vocals.  Eschewing the traditional metal tough guy image, Maniac is the victim, not the aggressor.  His strangled cries and unearthly howls are the perfect counterpoint to the frenzied savagery of the music.  Those familiar with Mayhem's newer releases may be surprised by the sound on this lp.  The songs are generally shorter, the drumming less blast beat-oriented, and Maniac had not yet developing his puking Gollum vocal style.  The production is certainly much more raw, another point of similarity to the DIY punk aesthetic.

(Note: this review is based on the Deathcrush lp included in the Mayhem: The Studio Experience vinyl box set.  This version does not include the outro that originally appeared on the Posercorpse pressing in 1987.)

Website:  www.thetruemayhem.com

Song Summaries:

1. Silvester Anfang - War drums open this short intro piece, which moves from the slow booming toms of an orc warband to the sped-up march of clockwork soldiers.  Decent enough for what it is.  B
2. Deathcrush - Ferocious distortion and tortured screams wrenched from a dungeon-dwelling madman.  This song proves Mayhem knew how to GROOVE at one point.  Killer.  A+
3. Chainsaw Gutsfuck - Brilliant title.  This is almost a mid tempo continuation of Deathcrush, featuring the same distorted guitars and howling vocals.  A
4. Witching Hour - Pretty straight forward Venom cover highlighted by Euronymous' wildly soloing/feedbacking guitar.  B+
5. Necrolust - A lightning fast ode to necrophilia.  Brutal, thrashing, and blasphemous.  A
6. (Weird) Manheim - Dark off-key piano interlude similar to the stuff Sabbath would use to pad out their albums.  Good to cleanse the palate between a couple of the lp's fastest and most intense tracks.  B+
7. Pure Fucking Armageddon - Aptly titled!  A relentlessly pounding assault that's over way too quick.  While it lacks the catchiness of some of the other songs, it makes up for it in sheer fury.  B+

Average Song Rating:  A-
Overall Album Rating:  A

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