Black Metal swaggered up to the gaping chasm of mediocrity, looked longingly into the welcoming depths of the void and decided not to jump and thankfully walked away, Mayhem were back, chaos has returned and Black Metal just got very dangerous again.
Even those who know next to nothing about Black Metal will be aware of the band Mayhem, if only for the controversy that has doggedly followed them throughout their career. Suicide, Murder, Church burning, Satanic rituals are but just a few of the incidents in Mayhem’s past that are now part of Black Metal history and even their recorded output has left fans puzzled at times but they are back on form with this release.
One school of thought is that there is only one true Mayhem and that’s the line up that featured (their sadly deceased original singer) Euronymous but that denies what the band has achieved after that sad event. Musically Chimera is without doubt the best CD Mayhem has put out in a long time and although not a total return to the past it does pay homage to it and brings Mayhem into the 21st Century. If you don’t normally buy Black Metal you should buy this, don’t be left out as this will be huge by the end of the summer.
Best tracks, "Whore", "My Death", "You Must Fall" and "Chimera".