Band:	Mayhem
Album:	Daemon
Style:	Black metal
Release date:	October 25, 2019
A review by:	X-Ray Rod

Disc I
01. The Dying False King
02. Agenda Ignis
03. Bad Blood
04. Malum
05. Falsified And Hated
06. Aeon Daemonium
07. Worthless Abomination Destroyed
08. Daemon Spawn
09. Of Worms And Ruins
10. Invoke The Oath
11. Everlasting Dying Flame [Limited edition CD bonus]
12. Black Glass Communion [Limited edition CD bonus]

Disc II [limited edition bonus vinyl]
01. Everlasting Dying Flame
02. Black Glass Communion
03. Evil Dead [Death cover]
04. The Truth [Death Strike cover]
05. Disgusting Semla [Morbid cover]

One may have all kinds of opinions regarding Mayhem's varied discography in terms of quality. But one thing has always been a fact to yours truly: They never released an unnecessary album in 35 fucking years.

Daemon marks a shift in gears for Mayhem as they leave behind the experimental and dissonant nature of their past two releases. I'm a massive fan of those, with Ordo Ad Chao being my favorite from their discography. Instead of flipping my desk I decided to bid my expectations farewell and blasted De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. Is their new album just as good? Of course not, don't be stupid. That being said, there's far more to Daemon than meets the eye and it took me a while to figure it out.

With their sixth full length, Mayhem approached the sound of their grand debut through modern lenses. There are plenty of elements, sometimes well hidden, in Daemon that couldn't exist if it weren't for their previous albums. In structure and production, I'd say Chimera can be a valid comparison. Both albums put major focus on bombastic, fast-paced and riff-heavy compositions but less on experimentation. The bass in particular has also a more refined role in both albums with Daemon having what is most likely the best bass sound they've ever had. In the riff department it is now clear that Teloch and Ghul are more than capable to deliver the Mayhem sound with gusto. You can clearly feel a rejuvenating sense of groove the band is usually not associated with. "Agenda Ignis" is the perfect example of this sound. After a typical shock of blastbeats and a wall of riffs, Mayhem go for catchy, slower riffs with solid, muscular drumming that should not leave anyone indifferent.

With Mayhem, people usually analyze two factors: Attila and Hellhammer. While not being nearly as experimental as he was on previous albums, Attila is still the man. The operatic chants are as chilling as ever and his shrieks and growls remain the most poisonous in the business. My major gripe with this album is Hellhammer. He has always been more than stellar in all his previous performances and I don't know if it is due to the more orthodox songwriting, but this is probably his least original performance to date. In every other album I said to myself "only Hellhammer can do this". This time? Not so sure. He certainly does the job well enough, I simply was not in awe. The unflattering production on the drums also left a bit to be desired. It's hard to properly describe them but it feels like the drums are just kind of there at times, awkwardly. Perhaps a more bassy sound on them could have matched the overall groove the album carries.

I usually don't think much of bonus tracks but both songs here are considerably above some of the tracks in Daemon. "Everlasting Dying Flame" delivers some amazing leads and bass lines and "Black Glass Communion" is among the most bombastic and intense songs on the album. Which songs I'd like to swap them with is an opinion that changes every time I listen to this album though.

Friends, mark my words, this album will be a total banger live given the bombastic and groovy nature of it (I smile while imagining the ominous marching sound of "Aeon Daemonium" in a live setting). Daemon carries a vital sense of celebration and pride. It is not surprising given the numerous live performances of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas that clearly left a mark on the band. Mayhem reunites with their old school sound but this is by no means an unnecessary album nor does it feel like it was safe or easy to make. Daemon does bring another sound to their discography. It is a specific entity in their career.

Death awaits for simple minded
Lying kind, assassinated
The fellow man, obliterated
Daemon spawn, underrated