De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas is the debut album from Norwegian black metal band, Mayhem. It was released in May of 1994, making it 30 years old this year. There’s a lot of fascinating details surrounding the Norwegian black metal scene, specifically with Mayhem. Two members of the band died before it was released, guitarist Øystein “Euronymous” Aarseth and vocalist Per “Dead” Ohlin. Euronymous was murdered by the man behind the black metal project, Burzum, Varg Vikernes, while Dead committed suicide. There was also a string of church burnings that were occurring around this time, which were done by many artists in the Norwegian black metal scene.This album is actually the only album by Mayhem to feature both Euronymous and Vikernes on the record. History aside, how does the album sound?

    We open up the album with the track, “Funeral Fog.” We are introduced to the record with fast thrashing drums, and heavily distorted guitars layered on top of each other. The growled lyrics paint a picture of a dark and haunting world, with lyrics like, “Every time this year, the dark fog will appear. Up from the tombs it comes. To take one more life that can be near. In the middle of Transylvania.” I like the changes the song goes through guitar wise, while the fast paced drum rhythms remain. First track off of the album and it’s already one of my favorites. 

   Next up, is another favorite of mine, “Freezing Moon.” It’s probably the band’s most famous song and has been covered by multiple bands. Euronymous’s dark foreboding guitar chords. Something that I’ve noticed about the band’s music, is that the lyrics aren’t really telling a story, rather they’re painting a picture of a dark and hellish world. The demonic vocals paired with the rapid fire guitar and drum riffs really get the point across well. The lyrics have a satanic vibe too, with lines such as, “I please my hunger on living humans. Night of hunger. Follow its call. Follow the freezing moon. The shifting tempo and rhythms in the bridge creates this epic, almost operatic tone. I also love Euronymous’s guitar solo. 

   “Cursed in Eternity,” is a very underrated song off the album with deeply illustrative lyrics. The vocals from Void are great as well. Sonically, the song has these aggressive, rapid fire drums from drummer, Helhammer, and wailing guitar riffs. Varg Vikernes, who goes by the name, “Count Grishnackh,” on this album, actually played bass for the band on this record. “Pagan Fears,” was one of the 4 tracks on the record that Dead wrote (including their most popular song, “Freezing Moon”). I like that this track talks about Scandinavian paganism, with lyrics including, “Less numbered as they were their lives. So primitive and pagan. Superstitions were a part of the life. So unprotected in the dark knights.” I also like the “woeful people with pale faces,” line as that directly references the white face paint that many musicians in the Norwegian black metal scene wear, which is more commonly referred to as “corpse paint,” Mayhem and Burzum popularized it, and it was a way for them to portray themselves as outsiders and aliens of mainstream society. “Life Eternal,” has some of my favorite guitar riffs on the entire album. Like the rest of this album, the lyrics are kinda minimalist. When I say minimalist, I mean that there’s not a whole lot of lyrics in the songs, despite most of the album’s tracks being longer than five minutes. It’s the instrumentation that does most of the work. That wailing guitar solo from Euronymous is also just pure perfection. It really is a shame he was murdered, because not only was he a phenomenal guitarist, but a fascinating individual as well. “From The Dark Past,” is another strong track, instrumentally (especially guitar wise), as well as lyrically. It has almost an apocalyptic nature to it, with lyrics such as, “Not even the memories are left. Back after such a long time. The stone is cold as death, but what formed its true fears. Only the wind is able to tell.” I like the story behind the track, “Buried by Time and Dust,” which is written from the perspective of a dying vampire. This is especially seen in lines such as, “Centuries ago I tasted blood. Buried by time and dust. Many years have passed since the funeral. Missing the blood of human throats, so many years, ages ago.” The schizophrenic guitar and drum riffs create a stressful atmosphere. Finally, we close off the album with the title track. The title in English is roughly translated to “The Secret Rites of Satan.” I like that the lyrics alternate from being in English to Latin. It’s a very surreal track, and a strong closer to the album.

    I will close by saying that this album is definitely not for everyone. The heavy guitars and crashing drum rhythms are abrasive and unsettling, and the vocals sound demonic. But that’s what I like about this album, it’s unique and has stood the test of time. I love the cacophony of drums, and the aggressive guitar riffs. I like the dark lyrics, and I generally enjoy the vibe of the album, which is this mixture of Satanism, pagan history, and an overall nightmarish environment. If you’re a Christian or are seriously religious, I suggest you skip this album. The story behind Mayhem is fascinating, and learning about individuals such as Euronymous and Varg Vikernes creates a very real, very dark undertone to the music of the Norwegian black metal scene.

Overall Score: 9/10

Favorite Tracks: “Funeral Fog,” “Freezing Moon,” “Pagan Fears,” “Life Eternal,” “From the Dark Past,”

Least Favorite Tracks: none

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9emO9qo4FwE

Genre: Norwegian Black Metal