«De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas» is Mayhem’s first album and it was released on 24 May 1994 by Deathlike Silence. The writing began in 1987, but the recordings were made from June 1992 to May 1993 at Grieg Hall in Bergen, with Pytten, Euronymous and Hellhammer producing. The line-up is Attila Csihar on vocals, Euronymous on guitar, Varg Vikernes on bass and Hellhammer on drums.
“`Country: Norway
Style: Black Metal
For fans of: Burzum, Darkthrone, Emperor
It is the only Mayhem album with both Euronymous and Vikernes on it, and it contains the last vocals Dead recorded before his death.
The release was delayed for years: singer Per «Dead» Ohlin took his own life in April 1991 and guitarist Euronymous was murdered in August 1993. The album’s lyrics are the last ones Dead wrote, for tracks such as «Freezing Moon» and «Funeral Fog».
For the vocals, Euronymous brought in Attila Csihar from the Hungarian band Tormentor. According to Csihar, the whole album was recorded in three days.
«Freezing Moon», «Funeral Fog» and the title track «De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas» stand out. The album rests on a combination of fast, frozen riffs and otherworldly vocals.
The cover is a black and white photograph of the east side of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim. The title is in Latin and refers to the mysteries of Satan.
Hellhammer refused to re-record the bass, saying it was right that the killer and the victim should be on the same record. In 2009 the band released rough mixes of five tracks from the same sessions on the EP «Life Eternal». The album is regarded as one of the most influential records in black metal.
See also
Øystein «Euronymous» Aarseth: the rise and fall of the Mayhem founder, Mayhem – Liturgy of Death | Metal Territory and Venom: the tribute to the discography that paved the way for extreme metal.
