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Bacteria13 Hatross Overlord
Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 2465
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Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 8:00 pm Post subject: MAYHEM – CHIMERA |
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MAYHEM – CHIMERA (SEASON OF MIST RECORDS)
After a four-year wait, Norway’s notorious Mayhem graces us once more with Chimera, and if you’re expecting early 80’s Black Metal then you are in for a pleasant surprise. I wouldn’t necessarily use the word ‘accessible’ here in describing Chimera, but typical Black Metal clichés, i.e., noisy barrage of grinding guitars, high-pitched screams and one-beat drumming, wouldn’t do this powerful record justice.
Chimera boasts some of the most imaginative musicianship it’s been my pleasure to hear in a long time. From the slow, swirling menace of My Death, to the shockingly catchy of Slaughter of Dreams, this is an album full of surprises for the non-Black Metal fan to discover who wouldn’t even consider listening to an album of its like.
The production is excellent – what a drum sound! – and the tracks are delivered with professionalism and determination. Guitarist Blasphemer makes this record his own, he is literally all over this album. Maybe the fact that he recorded the riffs on a mobile studio in a cabin in the Norwegian mountains had something to do with it, but the songs sound clinical and refreshing. As for the aforementioned drum sound – drummer Hellhammer is an unsung hero. Listen for the jaw-droppingly good double bass intro to Impious …, would-be drummers could do a lot worse than study this album.
Sounding a lot more like Mayhem than on 2000’s controversial Grand Declaration of War, Chimera is a glorious album full of unexpected twists and turns that defies the listener to delve deeper into its Black Metal secrets. Trust me; you’ll be glad you did.
Bacteria13. |
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