Mayhem: Esoteric Warfare

I've been wanting to talk about this album but I held back. I gave it more listening time to fully appreciate the contents & presentation. Mayhem releases are sublime & largely oblivious to trend & what the world thinks black metal should be.

Before I proceed, this is the currne tMayhem line-up L-R (live guitarist included):

• Necrobutcher- bass
• Hellhammer- drums
• Charles Hedger- live guitars
• Atilla- Vocals
• Teloch- guitars

The highlight here would be how Mayhem deals with the departure of guitarist, Blasphemer considering he was the spine of the band, the reason for Mayhem sounding like they are for the past decade or so. It's downright difficult to emulate someone who is equally adept to guitar & song-writing but Teloch was the right pick. A close listen to Esoteric Warfare reveals a proper continuation to the Mayhem legacy, not a departure in terms of music. The music in question is very much where Ordo Ad Chao left off, meaning- Mayhem is oblivious to songwriting structure. The music just kills from the start, it's one huge cloud of sonic assault, speed isn't obligatory but a necessary punctuation most of the time. The other marked talking point here is the drumming. No, Hellhammer didn't forgo his mercenary drumming but you would here some purposeful passages where he took his time to deliver. There is not a trace of De Mysterii... to be discovered, I think we can move on with the band in this aspect. That was a done formula, still potent, but not one to be dwelling in for the sake of being true.

Charles Hedger is an accomplished guitarist. Despite not hearing him in the album, you'd do well to know him by trawling cyberspace. He's a respectable teacher to say the least & it is hoped that he adds much to the current state of Mayhem music as well as doing some for the subsequent album.

Right now, what the world termed as 'Djent' (there is no such thing, really) is taking over the metal scene & the commercial entities behind this propagation are more than happy to see the music through (while it lasts- remember Nu Metal?). Mayhem stays relevant in essence of what black metal is & should be- haunting, apocalyptic rebellion. They are there to mark the existence of a necessary metal spin-off for those who live the music would be around longer to re-tell musical chapters than those who are hitching rides in bandwagons.