MAYHEM
LONDON ISLINGTON ACADEMY 18/12/10
We wanted Mayhem and we sure as hell got it. London was pretty much closed. Let me explain to our readers living in other countries who might be a bit astounded but when it snows in England everything pretty much shuts down. Yes it is staggering but our infrastructure simply cannot cope even though things were widely forecast. It might be amazing to someone living in Scandinavia and indeed to the headliners themselves battling their way from Eindhoven in Holland to get to the show. My tube station being above ground shut its doors but I persevered and made it to the pub by the venue in 2 and a quarter hours, (should have taken under one). Mayhem I was told were just about to get picked up from down the road having been bundled onto a Eurostar. The other bands from England were not so lucky and for various transport related calamitous reasons neither Anaal Nathrakh or Dragged Into Sunlight were able to play. There were rumours that Hellhammers drum techs band were going to fill in but we finally got the announcement that there was going to be a long delay and only Mayhem were playing. This was not well received and nor are the bar prices but all people had to do were drink.
Finally at gone nine and with a ten o’clock strict curfew Mayhem put in an appearance and before they had barely struck a note of ‘Pagan Fears’ beer was flying toward the stage. It has to be said the band got off fairly lightly from the alcohol shower, it also should be stated that those of us in the camera pit did not. Never mind we were more intent to see what garb Attila Csihar was sporting today, memories of his last show here as the trash can man not forgotten. Tonight was more orthodox fashion, as he was decked in purple Roman Catholic robes and a blood spattered inverted crucifix, swinging a thurible. It was a fair amount to take in at first with the sound settling down too over the burgeoning quagmire of guitar noise. Necrobutcher was right in front of me and the other newer guitarists Morfeus and Silmaeth surrounded him and Attilah, strumming away frantically. Things settled by second number and the slower paced ‘My Death’ really hit a groove. Mayhem can be really hit or miss live but luckily as things progressed we could quickly tell that tonight they were the former. Had they sucked, with everything else taken into account, the surprisingly packed venue and volatile crowd could have turned things into a riot, which would have been another chapter in the already infamous book of Mayhem.
The set may not have been the longest, indeed two songs were crossed off the set list but the band cast a deadly atmosphere as they cut through the swathes of dry ice delivering sermons such as ‘View From Nihil,’ Attila giving the Maniac versed song a new and not unwelcome dimension. At times the singer’s croaks were beyond description sounding like the croaks of a dying man as a last gasp is taken when the air deflates from a punctured lung. The cold air of ‘Freezing Moon’ was incredibly apt although the sky was far from clear outside to see it by. ‘Deathcrush’ rattled out and although I had barely caught a glimpse of Hellhammer, his presence was certainly felt. The ghastly strains of ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ were duly delivered and then we were flung into the final assault of ‘Pure Fucking Armageddon,’ and shat out into the cold night air. It has to be said that both Mayhem and the audience persevered to save this from becoming a complete non-event and everyone who made the effort should give themselves a pat on the back before no doubt doing it all again at one of the three shows in town the following night.
Review and photos by Pete Woods
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