LIVE REVIEW: Mayhem @ Electric Brixton (London, UK)

Norwegian black metal titans Mayhem join forces with Sweden’s Marduk and US death metallers Immolation to deliver extremity to London the 90s way. Following a day of haunting West Norwood cemetery, I was ready for macabre metal mayhem.

First up are the death metal horde Immolation. With a crushing blend of intricate and savage drumming, riffs that were performed with surgical precision, and monstrous vocals, this juggernaut of death metal delivered punishment by brute strength. Especially in the more mid-paced sections, the guitars sounded massive, which occasionally got a bit lost in the faster blasting moments. But overall, this was a scathing and magnificent opening performance with a setlist spanning Immolation’s consistently high-quality discography and proving them to still be at the top of their game as musicians. 

Next, we hear the signal for warfare with Swedish black metal squadron Marduk. It’s been a few years since I last saw them, and I have to say tonight their sound was much better than the previous couple of shows I saw years back. I’ve always loved the Marduk records, but they seem to have simply had bad luck in London with sound before. This time, however, after a couple of minor feedback issues at the start, they got the auditory assault they deserve. Much like Immolation, the Swedes have an impressive and consistently strong discography, and they did not neglect this when picking their setlist. Indeed, the variety of songs allowed us to hear that Marduk are a more dynamic band than many give them credit for, and yet their brutality and intensity never dissipated for the 50-minute show. Morgan’s guitar work and Simon’s bass complemented each other gloriously, while the drumming artillery ensured total ferocity at all times. As always, Mortuus’ vocals provided a supreme mixture of gurgling menace and piercing shrapnel that held the audience in bewitchment throughout the show. It felt a real privilege to see this legendary titan of extremity bulldozing London in the way I had always wanted and lived up to every hope I would have had from such an essential name in black metal.

Finally, Mayhem took the stage with their ghoulish Norwegian black metal assault. Taking a blend of their magnum opus “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”, naturally, along with some cuts from their new “Liturgy of Death” LP, these parts were of course expected. But the mix of material from “Grand Declaration of War”, “Chimera” and “Wolf’s Lair Abyss” along with “Daemon” and “Esoteric Warfare” – it is fair to say that the set did not neglect anything… anything but “Deathcrush” at least. Anyway, more on that later. Hellhammer’s massive drum sound, especially on the toms and cymbals, filled the air with that unmistakable “DMDS” skill while the guitars had the sharpness of rusted razor-wire. Necrobutcher’s bass added plenty of gritty thunder and finally Attila’s vocal contortions were on full display. From the eerie snarls to the vampiric howling and all morbid invocations in between. I was thoroughly enjoying myself but that question of “where is the first EP?” definitely in my mind. Finally, after leaving the stage, the encore provided most of those missing tracks alongside “Carnage”. The mix was especially strong on the “Deathcrush” songs with the band’s enthusiasm for its primal energy tangible in the air. This felt like the perfect climax to a unique and spellbinding set. I never tire of watching Attila, especially, whether it’s with Mayhem or Tormentor (or indeed his other ventures). This felt like the ideal Mayhem setlist to experience the band from beginning to present and their delivery was one of very experienced musical talents. A spectacle of Norwegian black metal might!

To sum up, a night of legendary extreme metal bands joining force, this was a triumph. All three bands delivered strong sets with a variety of songs from their expansive discographies. With all of the bands being most renowned for their 90s output but still putting out fantastic records and playing phenomenal shows; the past is alive…