Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao
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Music CD Cover
Artist: MayhemEdition: Music CD
Format: Enhanced
CD Release Date: 2007-04-24
Music Label: Season of Mist
Soundtracks:
- Wise Birthgiver
- Wall of Water
- Great Work of Ages
- Deconsecrate
- Illuminate Eliminate
- Psychic Horns
- Key to the Storms
- Anti
- [CD-ROM Track]
Free Music Notes for Ordo Ad Chao
Free Music Review: Mature, sophisticated Dark Art. Bleak, sinister -- but refined
Hit: 5 Stars
As soon as I heard that an unholy miracle had occurred and Atilla Csihar was finally back where he belongs as vocalist for Mayhem, I knew I HAD to check out this album. But if asked to rate it right after I first heard it, I probably would have only given it about 2 stars. It was so far from the Mayhem of "De Mysteriis" I had been hoping for that it was kind of a shock to my system.
But this is one of those albums that has really grown on me with each listen, and so here I am now giving it a full 5 stars. All I can say is, if you go into this expecting the Mayhem of "De Mysteriis" or "Deathcrush", you are in for some disappointment. But if you're willing to keep an open mind and listen to the music just on its own merits, you've got some interesting listening ahead.
It's been close to 20 years since those 2 classic early albums were made, and during that time Mayhem's members have come and gone and those remaining have continued on their own paths of maturing musical and artistic growth. And let's face it, even though they like to keep up their "barbarian" Metaller image, the members of Mayhem are actually pretty damned artistic. This comes through in the level of sophistication of this album's music.
With this album, I would say that Mayhem have gone beyond the boundaries of Black Metal which they themselves helped to create, and have continued to move into new and uncharted territory which I would call something like "Dark Art". This album creates a new and unique sound that manages to be bleak, sinister, even chaotic.....but refined -- all at the same time.
While the sound of those 2 classic albums brought to my mind visions of things like malevolently fog-enshrouded graveyards in the midnight shadows of ruined abbeys, this new album has a totally different vibe. It's still definitely Mayhem, but somehow updated for the high-tech world of the 21st century. While listening to this one, instead I found images of things like the dark and sinister skyscraper in George Romero's "Land of the Dead" coming to mind. A shadowy, high-tech, sophisticated penthouse looking out over a terrible future somehow gone horribly wrong.
Lyrically too the album moves in this direction. Almost all the album's lyrics have been composed by Atilla and he has come up with some very original ideas. "World of Water" seems to be inspired by things like the movie "Day After Tomorrow" and the looming environmental disaster facing human society, the destruction of which Mayhem welcome with open arms. Other songs use a lot of very technical and scientific sounding words, but fused in a unique way with traditional occult and sorcery imagery too. And my favourite track on the album, "Psychic Horns", gives a completely new re-envisioning for the relationship between the realm of Hell and the plane of existence of us mortals. Interesting stuff.
The music too is highly original. As always, Atilla gives an amazing performance. This is one vocalist that people either love or hate, and as for me I think he is one of the most brilliantly distinctive performers around. This is matched by Hellhammer's drumming, which is just as original and inventive, this time featuring odd bursts of beats which eventually build into wild crescendos. And Necrobutcher and Blasphemer use the guitars to maintain an overall dank, oppressive atmosphere. Thus ultimately it's a group effort where every member contributes, and I would say quite successfully at that.
I've heard many people complaining about the production on this album and at first I couldn't appreciate it either. It felt really flat, but it seems like this is all part of an overall artistic vision for the album. Its sound seems perfectly reflected in the abstract art found in the album liner notes -- a very muted, monochromatic monotone, broken only by the red of spattered blood, all filtered through the grid-like prism of a high-tech pixellating screen.
I sometimes think its too bad that Mayhem have such a legacy to live up to which blinds some people to the merit of what they're doing now. Yeah, when compared with the other 2 albums I mentioned before I still like the old stuff better. But while I won't say that this is one of my most favourite albums I own, I still feel that in terms of originality, overall artistic vision, and bravery in continuing to explore and strike out in new musical directions, it still deserves 5 stars from me. A strong effort.
....And for those of you who still prefer the old-school raw guitar style of early Mayhem, I'd recommend you try and track down the 2 albums by a UK band called Frost. -- Worth checkin' out.
Rock on!
Ordo Ad Chao Poster
After a Three Year Absence, the World's Most Evil, Infamous and Important Black Metal Band Summons Up the Highly Anticipated "ordo Ad Chao" (Translation: Order from Chaos). Featuring the Return of Vocalist Attila Csihar, who Appeared on the Band's Pivotal Album "de Mysteriis Dom Sathanas", this Album Will Serve to Strengthen the Band's Legacy as They Emerge More Vicious and Vital Then Ever. The Weak Bands Currently Plaguing the Black Metal Scene Are Sure to Be Exposed and Exterminated as "ordo Ad Chao" Not Only Crowns 2007's "best Of" Lists but the "best of all Time" Lists as Well. Exclusive Limited Edition in Red Colored Jewel Case in Special Die-cut and Embossed Metal Slipcase with Different Artwork Inside.Pop Music CDs
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