Mayhem / Watain Melbourne Hi Fi Bar 10/01

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Calfium Jay
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Mayhem / Watain Melbourne Hi Fi Bar 10/01

Post by Calfium Jay »

Mayhem - if there is any other band with a history as controversial or as bloodstained in the annals of rock music, then I'll go he. The very name conjures up images of burning churches, shotgun suicides, murders and a music so evil and so profane, each album should be sold with its very own bottle of holy water. For most people, they are too much (oh....who am I kidding? for "most" people even shit like Buckcherry or Stone Sour is "too much"!!) but I happen to love them (although I fall just short of worshipping them as I do Burzum) hence this review.

So...

9:15 and I walk downstairs into the (very packed) Hi Fi Bar to find supporting act Watain already geared up and ontage. To be honest these guys are not really my kind of thing. They remind me of similar acts like Behemoth or Dimmu Borgir whom I find depressingly stale and boring. There is way too much muscle in their music for it to be truly black metal - too aggro, too over the top, too bombastic (although the latest Watain album The Wild Hunt is decent enough). It's just a wall of macho, chest beating noise with little substance. It's not "evil" at all, just typical headbanger fodder. Live, they are equally boring and tonight's performance left me sorely wanting. Couldn't name a single one of the songs they played as each one blended into each other. The band (or at least the singer and the three guitarists) stood at the front of the stage and head banged in unison. The crowd lapped it up. But after half an hour or so I yawned and made my way to the merchandise table.

There I met up with a mate of mine who had earlier in the evening, met up with Mayhem and given them a tour of the city. Said they were a cool bunch of guys who were easy to get along with (not bad for the most "controversial" band of all time). He asked them about the new album and was told that it was ready to go as soon as they were done "negotiating" a new record deal. This didn't fill me with too much as previous experience has taught me that record deal "negotiations" can go on for months. But I will cross my fingers. He said the band also offered him "candy" but I won't go into that at this point.

Over to the bar and met up with Oren (Ambarchi - he of Sunn O))) fame etc etc) and was surprised to find that he was still living in Melbourne which is odd as I could have sworn he was moving to New York. Kicked myself afterwards for not asking him if there are any plans for more Sunn O))) releases this year (other than the Ulver colab.). No need anyway...as there probably won't be.

At around 10:45, Mayhem took the stage to the tune of Silvester Anfang (the electronic drum intro that Klaus Schulze provided for the first Mayhem ep). The lights dimmed and the crowd went nuts and literally tore each other to shreds. A sea of black t-shirts and raised horned salutes, it reminded me for all the world of a Nazi ralley at Nuremburg without all the homosexual overtones and political brow beating). They were loud - really fucking LOUD and I braced myself for what was to come over the next 80 or so minutes. After a few minutes, Attila (Csihar) took the stage, crouching and crawling, a human skull cradled in one hand and a noose around his neck - and adorned with corpse paint. Every bit the showman, presence engulfed the packed room and it wasn't long before he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. What evil was to come, I wondered with euphoric glee.

I won't go into each individual song they played (I had trouble identifying many of the tracks and assumed that the majority were either off the new album or from albums I have not listened to in a long time) suffice to say that all the "hits" were there - Chainsaw Gutsfuck, Freezing Moon, Deathcrush, Life Eternal, Pure Fucking Armageddon, Illuminate Eliminate...and all were played sufficiently sinister and other worldly. Judging by the reaction that each individual track received from the crowd (Mayhem fans would give even Tool fans a run for their money in the devotion stakes) the nighty was an over whelming success.

My only complaint was that it seemed like a notch down from their 2010 show, which blew my head off. Atilla seemed sluggish and slow for most of the night, as if time had wearied him. The old fire wasn't quite there. He was in good form but I couldn't help but notice the lack of fire in his belly. I got to wondering just how much longer (this is their 30th Anniversary tour) these guys can go on for.

Oh well...here's hoping the new album isn't too far away.
'It is time for us to be doing what we have been doing every day. And that time is now'

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not tyson
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Re: Mayhem / Watain Melbourne Hi Fi Bar 10/01

Post by not tyson »

I wish they'd write more techno songs
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Re: Mayhem / Watain Melbourne Hi Fi Bar 10/01

Post by The Boss »

I like MAYHEM.
O love will you read the letters I will send to you.
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Kittaan
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Re: Mayhem / Watain Melbourne Hi Fi Bar 10/01

Post by Kittaan »

Calfium Jay wrote:I braced myself for what was to come over the next 80 or so minutes...
Calfium Jay wrote:...all the homosexual overtones..
Calfium Jay wrote:...I happen to love them

Image

These are direct quotes, people.

Granted, they are taken out of order, and completely out of context. I also added a pic of what I assume Jay was staring at during this encounter.
Ki77aan :twisted:
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